Red
by Isah Underhill
Summary: What if Robin Hood hadn't been able to save his wife when she caught a deadly disease whilst carrying his child? What if the newly widowed Evil Queen had summoned him instead of the Huntsman to hunt down and kill Snow White? Set in the Enchanted Forest AU, dark! Regina, dark! Robin, dark! Story (cover by the amazing @starscythe)
1. Prologue

**Hello there world! This is my first story after being an avid reader of fanfiction for the past 12 years. I would like to leave a huge shout out to Zoe who encouraged me to write my crazy ideas down and also to Cammy who 12 years ago introduced me to the wonderful world of fanfiction!**

Enjoy!

…

He was broken.

A broken man, lost, without hope of ever finding light again. Buried in darkness.

Marian, his darling Marian – the love of his life – was gone for good, and he had no one to blame but himself. Pain, guilt and anger dominated his world, the feelings ran through his veins like poison, until they managed to tear his very soul apart, leaving nothing of the man he used to be.

_Gone was the noble Robin Hood._

He could not even bear to face his men anymore; the mere thought of the word 'merry' made him sick to his stomach. He would _never_ be merry again. How could he? When all the reason for any kind of happiness in his life was buried with Marian, six feet under. Along with their unborn child.

He had been so happy when they had found out Marian was with child, he did not think it was possible for someone to feel so much bliss in one lifetime. Back then everything had been perfect; he had had his wife – his best friend and one true love – and they were going to have a baby.

But duty called, and someone had to steal from the rich so the poor could survive the heavy winter. So he had left Marian in the care of Friar Tuck, safe in their secret hideaway at Sherwood Forest, and set out to King Midas' kingdom. The task was simple enough; 'steal enough gold for everyone to survive'. And since the King had the 'golden touch' it was not fairly difficult to come by it. During the week in which Robin and his Merry Men spent in the kingdom, doing what they best, they were able to assemble more gold than ever before. The amount collected was more than enough to feed the villages on the outskirts of Sherwood and more. The prospect of helping more than they had ever before put silly smiles on their faces, for a long while.

Robin could easily see that there were still several more nobleman estates that held an uncountable amount of gold. He allowed his mind to wonder in daydreams of what that gold could bring him, his wife and their unborn child. A secluded house, hidden from all – even his Merry Men – just for him, his Marian and their boy –yes, a boy, he knew it was silly to predict but something in his gut told him Marian was carrying a boy. That gold could ensure they had enough food to live happily and comfortably. Just a little safe heaven where he could be alone with his family, watching his child grow up and grow old alongside his wife.

It did not seem like a grand wish at the time. After all, that gold was to provide for families such as his own. How could Robin guess that that gold was to be the cause of his misery?

Little did he know of the price he would have to pay for this blasted metal.

The decision to stay a couple more days in the gold infested kingdom was not a difficult one to make. Robin was certain it could not hurt to linger a little more and since he was the leader, his word was law. The noble people from this kingdom had more gold than they could ever count, they would not even realize that they had had some stolen. So Robin decreed that he and his Merry Men would stay for five more days, to steal from a few more houses before they made their victorious way back to Sherwood forest.

Robin would never forgive himself for having made that decision; had he gone back to camp, back to Marian, instead of staying those five extra days, she might have lived. He would have found a way to save her. He was sure of it. He would have faced the devil himself in order to cure her, steal from whomever it was necessary in order to help her pull through her illness.

But how could he have known that while he was laughing at nobleman's stupidly, laughing at how easy it was breaking into their lavish homes, that his wife had fallen ill and was at death's door? 

He would never forget the day he had gotten back to camp after what the Merry Men and Robin himself referred to as 'their most profitable adventure _ever_'. They had arrived making the biggest ruckus in history, banging pans together and shouting to announce their victorious arrival. He had entered Marian's tent so eager to hold her, kiss her and tell her he had secured enough for their future, that everything was going to be alright for them, he nearly tripped on his way in.

But the sight that had met his eye had almost made his heart stop beating altogether. Robin felt his blood go cold when he saw his darling wife laying on her coot, her pale beige dress ruined with blood. She was unconscious and Friar Tuck was at her side holding her hand and muttering prayers.

She was pale, so very pale. She looked too thin and too small, not like his Marian at all. Nothing like the feisty, headstrong maiden who had confronted him about stealing from her. Not a resemblance to the passionate and determined young woman he had saved from an arranged marriage and married himself only two years prior. Nothing like his beautiful, beaming, pregnant wife whom he had left behind in camp just twelve days ago.

His world started to fade away, the vibrancy of life fading, as the red that stained Marian's dress, the green of the forest floor, and the yellow on the coins that fell from his pockets started to loose their colour. Suddenly everything was black and white, all colour drained away from his reality. Now all he saw were shades of grey.

He could only make out Friar Tuck's distant words as he rose from beside Marian to meet Robin and tried to explain what had happened during his absence;

_Marian had contracted an odd illness…_

_Maybe due to a sudden change in weather…_

_We were not worried; it was just a fever, she seemed all right, she said she was not feeling so bad…_

_But five days ago she took a turn for the worse, started getting delirious and hallucinating…_

_An unforgiving fever, which would not break, cries and wails of pain erupted constantly from her lips…_

_He did everything he could but- _

Robin stopped listening, he did not want to know the details of what had happened; his only concern was how to fix this.

But then Robin's hearing focussed again at the mention of his child. He noticed then that the fat healthy 6-month bump Marian had carried was no more and Robin gave into the tears that had been pooling in his eyes. The Friar explained of how Marian had gone into premature labour, as he finally took enough courage and strength to approach his wife with almost undead steps. Friar Tuck had tried everything he could to save them both, but his child simply had not been ready for this world just yet, too small, and too fragile to leave his mother's womb.

_Marian's life had been hanging by a thread and her child had had no hope. _

And she had known; Marian had known she had lost her child. A mother always knows, for the first day she would weep and weep, calling out to Roland in between her cries of pain, her condition only worsening by the loss of her child. She had fallen asleep then – out of exhaustion, her efforts gaining her nothing but sorrow and agony - and ever since that day, her only words had been to call out for Robin, her _husband_, her _heart_.

Robin fell to his knees beside his dying wife, once filled with life and joy, now pale and fragile. He was unable to utter a single word, quite certain he was barely breathing as the tears streamed freely from his eyes. Her own dark set opened slowly then, she looked so tired with sweat mingled with dried blood prickling her forehead.

Robin tried to say her name, managed to open his mouth but no sound would resonate, he was unable to speak, incapable of moving. Her now bony hand rose to cup his right cheek, it was humid and hot but Robin did not care, for she was the love of his life and he was getting to look at her beautiful eyes once again. For a moment, a glimpse of a moment in time, he felt hope that with his return would somehow help her get better, she would pull through it, she was going to survive, even if the reality before his eyes told him otherwise. She had the softest of smiles on her lips as she whispered her last word; '_Robin_'.

For a second the weak sound of his name leaving her lips had cracked up a tiny smile on Robin's, his chest swelling with love and devotion. But it quickly faded in concert with her hand, when it lost contact with his skin, dropping lifeless on the floor. Her breath left her, the little colour that had remained in his world faded when he looked upon her once striking eyes, that had remained opened, staring at him, now devoid of life.

For a while, he could not move, he could not cry, and he was fairly certain he could not even breathe. He just stared right back at her, watching the track a tear that had fallen from her eye wet her skin for the last time.

_His beautiful wife was gone, lost to him forever. _

_His child was dead, he would never see him grow._

Both the lights of his life faded away, everything was dark and cold and yet Robin's soul burned.

When he felt Friar Tuck's hand on his shoulder, he snapped and broke down as if awoken from a trance. He clutched Marian's lifeless body to his chest, never wanting to let her go, not quite believing that she was truly gone.

He had lost everything; his wife, his child and for _what_?

For his people? His men? The _gold_?

Robin vowed that he would never touch gold again, he would never steal again, and if this was the price to pay for being an honourable man, for helping others without ever asking for anything in return, then he did not want to be that anymore.

As something inside him snapped forever, Robin could not bear to face his men anymore, or any of the people who inhabited their small camp. Gone was the carefree, boyish, fierce leader. He felt hollow and alone. Even as the men he deemed as brothers tried to help him, tried to comfort him through his mourning when they had lost a loved one too. But he could not look them in the eye.

It had all been his fault, his orders had doomed his love, had ripped away his happiness. If he had returned five days ago, when her fever had taken a worst turn, then he would have been able to find a cure. He would have walked through hell to save her and their unborn child.Would have done anything-

_Anything_

But now. there was nothing he could do. They were both dead now, covered in earth and dirt, and it was all his fault. Robin had no one to blame but himself, his greed, his pathetic enthusiasm, his reckless attitude. What kind of leader was he that took decisions so lightly? He did not feel himself worthy of having a stray dog follow him, let alone a band of men that had not been touched by the sin his soul was now infested with.

And so he had left. He had taken his bow and arrows and simply vanished after burying his wife, vowing never to return to Sherwood Forest, its memories and its ghosts. He simply walked away with no destination in mind; his only objectives were to put as much distance between himself and this forest and to wipe away the image of his dead wife looking back at him from his memory, forever.

Whatever it took.

…

The following six months had been a blur. Robin managed to distance himself as much as he could from the place he used to call home. But no physical distance seemed to wipe away the images of that fateful day, they haunted his every conscious and unconscious moments. Every step he look was filled with regret and in every dream he had he relived his wife's last moments.

The day he had lost his soul, ever since then he had felt hollow and with no reason to live, so Robin merely existed. He still wondered why was it that he had not taken his own life in order to end his misery. He nearly did it a few times, when the pain was too much, when the regret was just too much to bear. But every time he was about to do it something stopped him, an even darker voice inside his head told him he was not allowed to end his life. He was not worthy of a reunion with his family, for he had slathered them and he deserved to agonize for it. Death was too swift, too good for him. Therefore, he would suffer for the sake of his wife and child, whose blood he had on his hands.

He had wondered from forest to forest, from kingdom to kingdom, always staying clear of roads and cities; the busiest places were the worst for him, for in every woman he looked at, he saw Marian, in every man, he saw his good merry brothers and every child-

People he had lost forever.

…

A further six months passed just as quickly. In every glimpse of his reflection, Robin could barely recognize the man who looked back at him. His soul felt heavy, as if he had aged years, the harsh lines on his face which his unkempt beard did not conceal spoke of the same truth. Robin was so changed he was certain he would not be recognized as the man he was a year ago by anyone who might have known him then. Sometimes he even wondered if his eyes had changed to a darker shade of blue, the light having faded away day by day.

It was not every night that Robin would cry himself to sleep anymore, he seemed to have run out of moist in his body to accomplish it, having shed so many tears he wondered how he had not fallen ill. If he had, he would have probably succumbed to the disease, having no strength nor reason to fight back, but death was still too good for him, so it did not dare touch him.

Remorse and pain were still his daily companions, his world was still colourless, black and white being all he saw. However, something different started stirring in him when he had travelled to King Leopold's kingdom. He had faint memories of having visited this kingdom a few times in the past to do his job, but this inexplicable something clutching in his chest had never been there before. For some mysterious reason he could not bring himself to leave quite yet, even after having been there for a full month. He had never lingered in a single kingdom for that long, not even back in his days leading the Merry Men.

Robin had ceased in believing in any of higher force after what had happened to Marian but it seemed as if a strong pull kept him there. Kept him near the King's castle of all places, sometimes in it's woodsy outskirts, somethings in nearby villages.

This kingdom was _different_; he was able to bring himself to walk through the streets of little villages and he could even manage to enter taverns and be in the presence of others (although he would never buy anything; he had vowed to never touch gold again and such things as drinks and bread were paid for with gold only).

It was inside a tavern when news reached his ears that King Leopold had been murdered in his own bed. Apparently, one of his most trusted servants – some say he was a close friend even - had a vicious, poisonous, two-headed snake bite him whilst he slept.

A horrid ending for a man who was said to be such a benevolent and kind king.

Kind and yet foolish to keep such friends at arm's length.

…

He would never know how _she_ was able to track him down, but she had.

He did not know how she worked out who he was – he had not uttered his real name in a little over a year – but she _knew_.

It was precisely two days after the King's passing when black knights had come for him. All clad in black and metal, they outnumbered Robin in a ridiculous scale, he was hardly able to reach out for his bow before he felt cold metal make contact with the skin of his neck. They unceremoniously grabbed him, dragging him away from his secret hideaway in the woods towards the castle. The only remark close to an explanation was "_the Queen's orders_".

_"The Queen?"_ He had wondered in confusion at first.

He remembered how he had heard King Leopold's wife was long gone, had been dead for more than a decade now, struck suddenly by a rare disease. Much like his Marian. He was sure for a moment he was to be taken to Leopold's daughter, Snow White, his only heir.

But then, his mind was drawn back to a conversation he overheard in a tavern only a week ago. Two pageboys had been commenting on the King's birthday celebration, about how the festivities had not been grand, but it had been cheerful and moving. The king's speech concerning his late wife and appraising his daughter's striking similarity to her beauty had brought guests and staff alike to tears.

Back then, Robin had envied the King for having had only beautiful memories of his wife and a daughter who resembled her so. A living piece of memory of his lost love who could bring sunlight into his life with her mother's smile.

_Robin had been left with nothing. _

When the pageboys had discussed the very much alive second Queen, Robin had only just caught a few words, having been wrapped up in thoughts of the family he never had and poison-like jealousy. Searching deep in his mind Robin was able to recollect how the young men chatted about the Queen. They both agreed that even though the first Queen had been fair, the second one was most certainly the fairest of them all, her striking beauty being like nothing either had ever seen before. Even if that contradicted the King's own opinion, the pageboys were quite adamant that the second Queen's beauty was unrivalled.

A sudden curiosity struck him, as he was being dragged against his own will. And curiosity was not something he had felt in the longest time. So many questions started to form in his head, a thrilling rush of adrenaline pumped through his veins. What could the Queen possibly want with someone like him? The grieving Queen nonetheless, one who had only lost her husband two days ago. Had he been found out? Was he to finally pay for his crimes? Was he to be executed?

As they approached the castle his curiosity had only increased, his mind wondering back to the pageboy's words; '_The Queen's beauty was unrivalled'_.

_What does the fairest of all women look like?_ Robin wondered.

He felt a sudden thrill at the knowledge that he was just about to find out.

When Robin first laid his eyes upon the figure reclining in that chaise longue, his black and white world gained a new colour. The colour of the velvet covering her curvaceous body and painting her supple lips...

_Red_

…

**Just a small insight, those five extra days would have been the days in which Robin went to Rumple's castle and stole the black fairy's wand.**

**Thoughts?**


	2. Deal with the Devil

There was absolutely no lie in the pageboy's remarks; the Queen was indeed the most beautiful woman Robin had ever laid eyes upon. His pupils dilated as he tried to take in as much as he could of the luring figure in red lounging like a feline before him.

But a few seconds of wonderment was all he was granted for, as soon as he was brought to stand a few feet away from where she sat, he was forced to his knees by one of the guards who uttered rashly; "Show some respect scum! Kneel before the Queen and keep that head down!"

His eyes were ripped away from the ruby red sight in front of him and were then staring at the polished cold, grey floor. Robin wondered if it had been a mere hallucination, for it was a swift moment, too quick, maybe a few seconds, in which his world had been bathed in red. He pondered with a frown if his reality had gone back to black and white.

"Leave us," he heard a female voice, he assumed belonged to the Queen, command firmly, in a harsh, indifferent tone.

Robin's senses picked up the footsteps of the black guards as they left the room in military precision and could feel he had been left alone with the monarch. And yet his gaze remained glued to the grey floor, for some strange reason Robin did not want to press his luck in disobeying orders so early on. He had never been an abider to any rules in the first place, but right now, even in the solitary presence of the Queen, he knew he was at disadvantage.

His eyes were still fixed on the ground. Rightly so, knowing this was the smartest thing to do if he was planning on leaving the stone fortress with his head still attached to his body - having an impressive amount of crimes to respond for will give you quite the heavy conscious, even if you tell yourself your intentions were the noblest. However, there was a niggling portion of Robin's will which wanted to do nothing more than look up and bask in the mesmerizing red vision. His common sense thankfully won the battle and his eyes remained firmly fixed on the polished stone underneath him.

The Queen hummed, and he could hear her moving on her chaise longue, and could not help but imagine the red fabric sliding over her skin as she shifted. Feeling the heat in her gaze from where he knelt, Robin wondered if her eyes would also bear the same shade of red she seemed to be shrouded in.

"Robin Hood," she finally spoke, slowly letting his name roll off her tongue before she ordered him to 'look up'.

Robin's head shot up so quickly it might have been comic hadn't he looked like he was going to eat her alive with his mystification. The color red had indeed returned to his reality, and it hit him like a hurricane.

When their eyes locked together for the first time, Robin felt as if something had, for a split second, gotten a hold of his heart and squeezed hard. The feeling momentarily stole the air out of his lungs and he had to control himself in order not to gasp to take his next breath. The sensation passed just as quickly as it came, but it left Robin's heart pounding loudly in his chest and his throat dry.

The Queen's eyes had widened as the momentary sensation had hit him, her mouth opening for a moment in a surprised 'O' shape and Robin had to wonder if she had felt that inexplicable something too.

After the slight start, Robin was finally able to drink in the image of the creature said to be the fairest of all women.

What he saw was of no assistance whatsoever to his attempts of keeping his heartbeat under control.

Her long, dark, pitch-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, the soft curls reaching her chest and a little beyond. She had a section pinned up in a fancy updo but most of it rested upon her chest. Her eyes were fierce, vibrant and dark, and even the heavy black paint she used in them could not hide their effervescence. She had a perfect angular nose, and her skin was of the lightest tone of olive, it appeared to never have been touched by the sun.

But Robin's eyes seemed to be fixated on her mouth, the indentation on her upper lip might have showcased some vulnerability if her red lips, which had been slightly parted, were not curled into a malicious smirk. Her mouth was hypnotizing him, enticing him, the only bit of living color in his reality. But when she spoke again, the spell was broken, and Robin's eyes returned to hers.

"Aren't you a difficult one to find?" The rhetorical question hung in the air as she paused for a moment and hummed, not paying much attention to the thief but seemingly enjoying the way he could not tear his eyes away from her.

"Although,-" she began with a hint of amusement "-now that _I_ am in charge, things are done much more efficiently in this castle."

Robin's frown grew as she chuckled to herself, as if sharing some inside joke. She took a breath and studied him for a beat before delivering, "I hear you have given up prancing around from kingdom to kingdom doing charity with other people's possessions." She taunted, looking at him with an expecting expression and an arched eyebrow.

All of a sudden, Robin's blood began to boil, his face felt hot and the abrupt heat had nothing to do with the Queen's shapely figure or her taunting lips.

He was not foolish; Robin knew that the Queen could order his execution in a heartbeat, but the angry words at her disdain towards him and his long lost cause tumbled out of his mouth before he could even think about stopping them.

"What is it you want from me?" He asked looking her right in the eye and slowly adding "_your majesty,_" hoping to draw a reaction from her.

The Queen let out an amused laugh, "I'm not sure if you are actually as bold as people say or just plain stupid," she said with a tilt of her head, a curious gleam now filled her eyes.

She stood from her chaise, still studying him with a newfound interest. As soon as she rose, all the anger evaporated from Robin's mind, making way for desires he though had been long lost. The Queen's skin seemed to have an alluring gleam from what little was shown by her garments; there was no low cut neckline, no bare arms or shoulders, no slit in side of her dress. The lack of visible skin was typical for a grieving widow. But the dress _this_ widow wore was nothing like what Robin would have imagined a mourning Queen would present herself in.

The dark red velvet hugged the Queen's every curve, Robin felt his mouth water as he was now able to attest that her body had been made for sin. He could not help but feel slightly envious of the tight, black corset around her waist that molded to her body and firmly held her supple flesh in its confines. A sudden desire to alleviate her of all that fabric hit Robin by surprise. Her frame was petit but she stood so tall and with so much poise, she looked like a titan.

She was stunning, breath taking, and from the way her lips curved into a wicked smirk and the sway of her hips as she took a few steps forward, Robin knew she was fully aware of her allure.

"Regardless of your stupidity," she continued, "I'm in need of your legendary aim."

The Queen took the necessary steps to almost close the distance between them, stopping a foot away and resting a hand on her hip as she ran her other through her hair. His head was now aligned and dangerously close to something of the Queen's he never would have thought he would come to desire so fervently. He traced the outline of her hips with his eyes and swallowed, subconsciously biting his lower lip in the process.

When she ordered him to his feet, he stood swiftly in one move, which half startled the Queen who took a wee step back. The gleam in her eyes was intense and slightly amused - the tiniest of grins tugging at her red lips - as they travelled slowly from his head to his toes, cataloguing his physique with interest. After a moment of studying him, she rolled her shoulders back, straightening up her posture as she gave a pleased sigh.

"I have a job for you." She stated.

"Why would I ever do anything for you?" Robin retorted before he could stop himself.

She met his gaze with those sparkling, devious eyes, they were dark, Robin could not make out the color but knew they were dark. She moistened her lower lip with her tongue and curved her mouth into a smirk, as she got closer to him. Her index finger came into his line of vision and touched lightly at his chin, the small skin contact sent shivers throughout his entire body. Robin could see the Queen's eyes widen at the spark that lingered where their flesh met and was glad he was not alone in feeling such a powerful sensation from so little contact.

She produced a soft puff of air from her mouth before leaning forward until their faces were perilously close, she then whispered, "Because I have so much to offer," and Robin could feel the warm air that left her mouth come in contact with his and it sent his head spiraling with lust and confusion. She smiled when she saw him swallow before inhaling.

Robin found the Queen's suggestive words and forward approach quite enticing, and his breathing quickened as he started to feel his below-the-belt reaction to her closeness. He could not help but let out a groan when that single finger trailed its way torturously slowly down his neck, past his Adam's apple, reaching the top button of his shirt.

The Queen broke the contact with a content sigh, bringing his attention back to her supple mouth before she started to prowl round him, ensuring she brushed against his growing erection as she did so.

_What was this woman planning of doing to him?_

He could sense her coming to a halt right behind him, not as close as she had been before but close enough for him to feel the heat radiating from her body.

"I need to dispose of an enemy," she continued out of the blue, her voice was now business like sounding nothing like the words she had just slurred to him, "-but that's proven to be more difficult than I had originally expected."

Robin did not know why he was suddenly feeling so daring, he knew how dangerous it was to be bold and let his emotions rule over his head. This woman had power, great power over an entire army, plus he was almost certain she knew of his history in crime. But the words kept tumbling from his mouth, almost as if he had no control over them, her presence made him feel, _different_. Perhaps it was due to him having next to nothing to live for, Robin was not truly living, he was barely surviving.

Or perhaps it was because, logic showed him that the Queen would not kill him right away; she had sought him out personally to do this job for her. She needed her enemy gone and she wanted Robin of all people to do the job.

And so, not quite sure which instinct he was then following, Robin turned around to face her and retorted; "Well why don't you have one of your 'efficient' knights to your dirty work for you?"

The Queen gave a dangerous chuckle at his words, "I'd be careful if I were you outlaw." Darting her eyes to his lips, she added; "That smart mouth of yours might cost you your head someday."

Her eyes returned to his and she drew her bottom lip into her mouth, teeth worrying the soft flesh before she went back to smirking at him.

Robin was fairly certain that this woman had a lot more on her mind than only assassination and business like deals. He wondered if she was testing him, playing some sort of rouse to provoke him and then leave him high and dry for her own royal entertainment. There was something odd about her, her aura seemed to want to draw him in, his nether parts could not help but react to her provoking double meaning remarks.

He had never felt this much need for a woman, especially when the woman in question had given away so little and was so… _vicious_ and cold hearted. It was much like she had laid a spell on him, he felt incapable of resisting his urges. And Robin was far from being a shy lover having had his fair share of romantic escapades. Those were all before Marian, she had made him a better man and he had felt he as if no other would could ever tempt him. The better man lay six feet under along with the woman he loved.

_And _this_ was not romantic at all._

This was raw, primal and dark. Her red lips were like a magnet, drawing him in with the urge to kiss, bite, suck and ravage them until red was the only color they possessed and-

Robin snapped himself out of his fantasies.

_What was happening to him?_

Had he really changed so much that someone he had just met could reduce him to a lust-crazed animal? Was he under some sort of spell? Or was this an effect of his own actions? He had not been around many people in a long time, choosing to live in the woods for months. He had only come back into civilization a couple of months back and he had most certainly never been around anyone quite like this Queen standing before him.

"My target is much loved in this kingdom." She spoke suddenly, drawing his attention back to her lips. "I need someone who won't be blinded by that."

Pivoting on her heels, the Queen turned her back on Robin and headed towards a mirror which hung on the wall facing her. She stood a little to the left of the reflective surface so she could met his gaze through the reflection, she continued; "My prey has a protector, who has not left her side since my _dear_ _husband's_ passing." The way in which she uttered 'dear husband' made it very clear that the King had been anything to her but '_dear'_.

Robin wondered just how much involvement she actually had in his demise; having met the 'grieving widow', he would not have been surprised to find out she had orchestrated the whole affair.

She turned away from the mirror to face him once more and for a moment, Robin could have sworn he saw the face of a man behind her, but he quickly brushed aside the notion; mirrors did not have their own faces.

"First you will rid me of her protector," the Queen declared, bringing his attention fully back to her making him forget quickly about mirrors with faces, "My prey has taken to the habit of taking the forest route to the King's grave which she visits every day. She's escorted by her protector and no one else."

The indifferent look in the Queen's eyes faded away, leaving them sparkling with bloodlust and darkness. Two things Robin could fully identify with.

"You are to covertly dispose of her protector with one single, fatal shot," she took a step towards him, inhaling deeply, "I want my prey to _see_ her precious friend die right in front of her… and _know_ that she's next." The words came out of the Queen's mouth as if she was describing a delicious feast she was about to devour. This woman was thirsty for blood and Robin, even though he knew nothing about her motivations, could not help but understand.

The Queen approached him once again, still wearing that fierce, dark look in her eyes, her voice had grown a little thick, as she moved to what seemed to be her favorite part, "Once that is done, you may reveal yourself. Then I want you to hunt her down like you do your preys. I want her to feel the agony of being pursued by death itself. I want you to shoot stray arrows that almost hit her to terrify her even more." She took a deep breath then, her hands were in tight fists and her eyes had started to fill with moist over the excitement of her demands and orders, "And then you will kill her, I will give you a weapon with which to do that. But-" She raised her index finger in front her face in warning; "Once she's dead, I want you to carve out her heart, and bring it back for my collection."

Robin swallowed.

"Do you understand?" She asked firmly.

"Yes" he breathed out, gaze fixed firmly on hers. He could not help but wonder what this person could have possibly done to warrant such treatment.

An evil smirk made its way onto the Queen's ruby lips, "Good."

She started walking towards him again, but passed straight by to stand in front of her chaise. With her back turned to him – giving him a good view of that picture perfect behind she possessed - she twisted her upper body slightly towards him, so she could look back at him with an arched brow.

"So-" she scanned him from head to toe once more, before lowering her voice to ask; "What do you want?"

_What did he want?_ He did not even know if he wanted to aid her at all with her twisted plan. True, he had killed many men before; even in his days leading the Merry Men, many had found their lives ending by his hands. Normally men who did not deserve to be alive, who had brought on misery or death upon many, mostly rapes and killers. Back then, he had felt he was doing the right thing by the wrong means, but it had been the only way to ensure those villains were never to commit their crimes ever again.

After he had left his merry band, he really could not have cared less if death was brought on by his hands. He had fought constantly in the beginning. He had sought arguments with lesser men, attempting to find an outlet for his anger and despair over what he had done to his wife and unborn child. Oddly enough, it had worked, it had been one of the only things that made him forget for a while, when rage invaded his senses, he was free. It had made him feel numb, and hollow.

And _that_ had been perfect.

Taking a life drained his emotions in a way that all feelings had started to mingle together, becoming the same and yet nothing at all.

And _that_ was how he knew he could do it.

He could do exactly what the Queen had asked him to, he could even feel a little grateful for the offering, for he was to feel that blissful numbness again.

But at that precise moment, being faced by this entrancing woman, he most certainly did _not_ feel numb. Quite the contrary; this malicious and yet truly stunning Queen had awakened something in him he was not quite sure he had _ever_ felt before.

True, he had loved Marian with all his heart, vowed to stay true to her and had desired her immensely.

But this Queen, this vision of what the fairest a woman could be, stirred something extremely primal in him, something downright animalistic.

_What did he want?_ He wanted to rip off that teasing dress from her body with his teeth; he wanted to take her against that ridiculous chaise longue until she screamed his name.

_What did he want?_ He wanted to grab, lick, bite, and mark her entire body as if it belonged to him. He wanted to shut _her_ smart mouth with his cock and have her milk him dry and then swallow every last drop when he came.

_What did he want?_ He wanted her on top of him, he wanted to take her from behind, he wanted her on all fours, he wanted her in every position possible, and even upside down. He craved to be inside her warm cunt, wanted to pump himself into her until she passed out.

She waited for his response, but Robin knew better than to voice his true wishes; they were no doubt far too forward.

"There must be something you desire," she drawled after a moment, turning to fully face him, "Name it and it shall be yours."

Robin's eyes had slowly gotten used to the new color pallet in his vision and was only now able to appreciate more details of the 'mourning' dress the Queen was wearing. His pupils dilated as he noticed that the black lace that covered the area between her breasts was translucent, and he could make out the curve of her breasts through the fabric.

The Queen, noticing his reaction, - she was a perceptive sort or maybe he was being a little too obvious - smirked and gestured for him to come hither with her finger. For a split second, Robin truly did not know if he should, for all he knew this could be a trap and she could shove a blade through the tissue of his stomach as soon as he got too close. After all, she was all too enthusiastic about having him do just that to another.

And yet, Robin's feet were taking steps on their own accord, stupidly approaching the vision in red. When he was just about half a foot away, she put a finger on his chest, making him halt in front of her. She could no doubt feel the erratic beating of his heart through the small contact her finger made with his chest and that had to fell slightly humiliating.

She then leaned closer, as if to kiss him, and humiliation was suddenly the last thing on his mind. However, just as their lips where ghosting over each other, the pull almost irresistible, she changed her route until she had her mouth almost pressing against his ear.

"I'm sure we can come up with something that could be-" she inhaled before pressing her cheek against his and brushing her lips against the shell of his ear,"-quite enjoyable for the two of us, don't you think?"

"Yes." Robin answered, his voice dropping an entire octave. He was fairly certain he lost the ability to speak and his entire vocabulary the moment her tongue came in contact with the skin behind his earlobe in a swift lick.

Robin groaned as she bit the flesh of his earlobe and pulled slightly before releasing it with a sigh. He could feel her breath ghost over the skin of his neck, almost touching, a tantalizing and torturous journey her red lips made until she then withdrew so their mouths were mere centimeters apart and her breath ghosted over his lips instead. She sank her teeth into her bottom lip as she stared at the outlaw's mouth, she then released it, and Robin was enraptured with the way the deep red color returned.

"What is it outlaw?" She asked sultrily, her eyes never leaving his lips. "You want to sink your teeth into my lips the way I just did?"

She blinked and her gaze returned to his, a malicious smirk appearing on her lips as she saw his Adam's apple bob with a loud swallow. It took all there was left of Robin's self-control to not ravage her lips then, not to crash his own hungry and desperate lips onto her lush ones.

He managed to grunt a responsive, "Yes"

She hummed and gave him a small grin. "Well then… isn't this your lucky day?"

The Queen slid her finger down his chest, scratching at the worn fabric of his shirt until she reached its end. She promptly hooked her teasing finger into the waistband of his pants and pulled him towards her, finally closing the distance between their bodies.

The contact was exquisite, an electrifying vibration ran about every inch of skin he possessed that somehow came in contact with the Queen's; Robin's self-control slipped, if this was indeed a trap, he found himself not caring anymore. He released a low groan and both his hands acted on their own accord and immediately shot to grab onto her sinful arse, pulling her even closer. He did not bother to look at her expression when he heard her gasp at his actions, his face lowered to the crook of her neck and he inhaled her scent deeply, grinding his hips against her.

The Queen let out a small moan at the contact, teasingly asking; "Eager, are we?"

He could feel her raise her free hand and all of a sudden, the noise of the heavy doors being violently closed sounded just from behind him. He raised his head to look at the Queen with confusion, a small voice inside his head told him he was a fool to put himself in a situation such as this, for it could _only_ be a trap. But she only granted him with a mere half shrug and tugged harder on his waistband.

The contact between them was exhilarating, it made his head light and his cock harder, as she grinded herself on him, urging him to make the next move, challenging him with her fire filled eyes. His hands flexed at her hips as the urge to bunch the material up in his fingers swept through him.

But then her patience seemed to run thin and she pounced, capturing his lower lip between her teeth and he could do nothing but tighten his grip on her. He could feel her trace her tongue over his lip, softly and slowly the tip of her tongue covered his lip and Robin found himself unable to react but only bask at the small and yet maddening contact.

As if knowing he was enjoying this only too much, she broke the contact too soon, leaning back with an evil gleam in her eye.

"Hmm, tasty. I like that." She purred.

Robin had to take a large intake of breath in between gritted teeth as the hand she had used to pull them together found its way underneath his shirt and slowly trailed up his torso. Her hand was small and cold, the interaction sent shivers down Robin's spine.

"And I like _this_ very much indeed" she added.

When her fingers reached just underneath the center of his ribs, she dug her nails into his flesh and dragged them down his torso. The action on itself stung and was sure to leave an angry red marking and yet, Robin found it odd how the pain turned out to feel absolutely erotic and enticing, he could not hold back a groan.

"If you are lucky, I might even keep you outlaw."

She trailed her other hand past his waistband – whilst the other found its way to his behind, taking a rest there - and palmed his hard member shamelessly through the fabric of his pants. Robin grumbled loudly as his head fell back when she squeezed him hard, humming in delight at her actions.

Taking the Queen's incredibly forward actions as an open invitation to make himself familiar with her body, he ground himself against her alluring figure as his mouth found the pulse point on her neck and sucked hard.

Now it was the Queen's turn to moan, and the high-pitched sound she released was music to Robin's ears.

_Damn her_; even when uncontrolled, everything about her was striking.

And damn _him_; his absolute lack of self-control made it very difficult to focus on anything other than this mesmerizing woman in front of him, and the delicious flesh on her neck that was currently attached to his lips.

_Damn his past and his wrong doings_

_Damn whoever it was that he was bound to kill for this woman_

Right here, right now, for the first time in the _longest_ time, something felt _right_.

Robin bit, nipped and sucked over every inch of exposed flesh until the Queen was moaning, gasping and trembling. He was reluctant to confess the flesh-to-flesh contact drew out something he had never felt before, _ever_. The sparks were raw and almost overwhelming, but he worked his way up her neck, resolute on painting it red with his mouth.

Both of the Queen's hands suddenly came to grab the back of his neck, her nails clawing so deep they could have easily drawn blood. Robin was surprised to discover he did not mind the pain, could even perhaps admit he rather enjoyed it. The firmer his advances became, the louder she moaned and the harder her nails dug into his flesh. Robin could not help but get a bit carried away, biting down hard – drawing a gasp from the Queen – and then tracing the indentations his teeth made with his tongue.

They were suddenly interrupted by a male voice "Your majesty, if I may..."

Robin was startled at the interruption for he was sure the doors were closed and that they had been alone inside that room. He might not have been paying a great amount of attention to his surroundings but he knew, could _feel_, that they had been alone.

_Not anymore_

He looked up to find the Queen's eyes wide and rage-filled.

She had not moved; her nails were still digging into the back of his neck, but her eyes looked right through him. Robin noted something else in her gaze, there was anger, yes, but he could also see frustration, and exhaustion.

He looked about the room, searching for the source of their interruption so he could rip their tongue out – he was very much so enjoying his '_negotiation'_ with the Queen - but he found it to be empty except for the pair of them.

The Queen dropped her fierce grip from his neck and spun around quickly to face the wall behind her.

More accurately, she turned to face the mirror, which hung on the wall.

Robin was taken aback at his earlier notion of seeing a face in this same mirror being proven correct; there was a man's face inside the reflective surface on the wall, hovering like a ghost.

Robin had seen many a strange thing in his lifetime, but he had had very little contact with this kind of witchcraft. Or any kind of magic whatsoever, he had despised the usage of it. The hovering head made him slightly uneasy, and the dark expression worn on its face did not help matters.

"How _dare_ you?" The Queen roared towards the mirror, her seductive expression replaced with one of fury.

"Forgive me your majesty," The mirror stuttered in a manner of sudden complete submission, when he continued speaking his tone changed to something Robin would usually associate with those of a jealous disposition; "I merely thought that it wouldn't be wise for the thief to claim his reward before-"

"You have _no_ say in how I tend to _my_ deals!" She spat at the mirror, cutting off whatever reasoning the disembodied face was planning to give.

Robin could clearly see that the Queen was enraged; her nostrils flared, her hands clenched into fists and the corner of her ruby mouth turned up in a snarl. "I will do as _I _please!"

Robin found himself gasping when she made the mirror disappear in a cloud of smoke with a mere wave of her hand.

_The Queen was a witch._

Well, that explained _a lot_, did it not? Such as the doors conveniently closing when he had first grabbed her, despite there clearly being no one else there. Perhaps she had put him under some sort of spell; it would explain this seemingly inexplicable attraction to her. He had never been this reckless in such dangerous situations, even when kidnapping Marian from her own wedding; he had planned it most carefully before storming the ceremony and stealing her away.

_Magic_

But wouldn't he have felt it if it was used on him? He did not feel any different, aside from the fact that he was hard as a rock with good reason and that had not been a regular feeling lately.

Somehow, he knew that just was not true; she may have seduced him with her charms and body, but there was no magic involved. She did not need to use magic to lure him to her bed, only a word from her would suffice. Of _that_, he was certain of.

So he watched as she waved her hand and another cloud of smoke appeared, the mirror reappearing high above in the ceiling. The man's face was still in there, trapped inside, although he was now decidedly more terrified.

"And if you _ever_ interrupt me again-" she sneered at him, "-I will make sure to have _every single_ mirror in this castle crushed to pieces!"

With a flick of her wrist, the smoke was gone and the mirror fell, crashing loudly on the floor as it met its shattering demise. Shreds flew everywhere, and Robin instinctively turned away from the shattering object in order to protect himself from the shards. But the Queen did not move a muscle, even when Robin was sure the sharp pieces of glass must have reached her face, she did not move a hair.

The Queen had her back to Robin, her breathing was slow and heavy, as if to try to compose herself before she returned her attentions to her 'guest'.

Robin was at a loss of words at what had just transpired.

_What was that thing? _

_Was there an actual person trapped inside a mirror? _

And the Queen's magic, it was wondrous at the very least, it turned Robin's thoughts into a knotted mess.

Of course, he knew _of_ magic, knew of its presence in this world, he would have to be a complete fool to deny its existence. He was fully aware that some people had the innate ability to wield it, and that most of them used it for selfish purposes, the vast majority of those, evil. But the few witches he had come across had been old, not entirely sane and had resorted to more potions than actual spells.

Shortly after he had left his Merry Men, Robin had entertained thoughts of how magic could have helped save his wife.

He had made his first stop at the fairies, one of the only beings known to use magic for good, the well-being of others rather than themselves. He was met with the answer that their magic could not bring back those who had been taken by death. A response that did not fully surprise him for those irritating little bugs were known to play by the rules, and if there was a way to bring back Marian, that path would most certainly implode the rules.

He had then decided to visit magic wielders with looser morals. He visited all the witches he could track down, but had been met with the exact same answer. He figured they had not been powerful enough, refused to give up. He even considered the Dark One, as ridiculous a notion as it was, but he could never quite bring himself to formulate a plan to break into his castle.

But something that had been worse than the pain of her loss, had been the devastating sensation he would get when he was met with the same negative response. The small joy of hope made everything worse than it had already been.

But this Queen was not like any other he had met before. He had never seen this kind of magic. And if she could so easily summon consciousness into a mirror with a wave of her hand, then maybe she was powerful enough to-

"You have magic..." He breathed out.

The Queen stilled but remained with her back turned to him. She waved her hand once again and the mess the broken mirror had left on the floor disappeared. The dark frame shaped like the flaming sun reappeared on its initial spot on the wall, but there was no reflective surface on the inside.

She then turned to face him, her eyes devoid of any warmth, a small track of red marked the flesh of her right cheek as a drop of blood ran down. It matched the ruby vibrancy of her once painted in red lips, and when that drop reached said flesh; her tongue came out of its confines in order to taste it. Robin was hypnotized once more.

"How very observant of you" she stated humorless before her fingers came close to her cheek and healed the marred skin completely.

Regardless of her uninviting words, Robin felt the burning poison of hope spread itself throughout his heart.

Maybe the Queen finding him was no coincidence. Maybe this was meant to happen.

Maybe _he_ was meant to find _her_.

Those thoughts ran riot through his mind, repeatedly.

He would kill for her, twice; he would tear her enemy and her protector to shreds. Then, this powerful sorceress would owe him a favor. And now, Robin knew exactly what he wanted his favor to be.

With newfound confidence he declared; "I know what I want in exchange for my services."

She still remained expressionless and asked; "Oh? You do? I thought we had already settled _that._" she raised one eyebrow.

Robin ignored her last statement and continued, "I want you to use your powers-" her head tilted to the side with mild interest, "-to bring my wife back from the dead." His voice broke a little at the end of the sentence, and tears he did not even realize were pooling in his eyes threatened to break free.

The Queen's eyes widened at his words and her mouth opened a little. She stared at him without blinking, as if she had seen a ghost, her face a myriad of emotions.

From all he had seen from her, from the seduction to the blood lust, from the passion to the fury, the woman standing before him was a completely different person to the one he had been attacking with his lips not two moments ago.

Through the blurry haze – caused by the tears he refused to shed – they held each other's gaze. There was a horrid, weighted silence between them for a moment, before the Queen shook her head slightly and confessed in a small voice; "I cannot do that."

She took a large intake of breath and ran a hand over her cheek. "All magic has rules, and one of the cruelest is that you cannot bring back the dead."

Robin felt his heart sink inside his chest, shrinking and shrinking until there was nothing left. He screwed his eyes shut and let the tears he had tried so valiantly to keep at bay run down his face.

_Pain_

The pain was back. And the guilt. And every single helpless feeling he had ever experienced. They all returned and set about crushing him under the weight of his regret. For a short while he had been able to shut them away and feel like he was worthy of taking a breath again.

But now they were back, all his ghosts, stronger than ever. He had been a selfish, horrid person, and now he was paying the price. His world was no longer black and white but black alone – the last traces of light having faded along with his last hope. Darkness consumed him, there was only dark-

The Queen cleared her throat and he opened his eyes.

She was still a vision in red.

"Do not kid yourself outlaw." She said, there was a small trace of empathy in her voice, almost unnoticeable but he could detect it, "I was taught long ago that dead is dead. There is no amount of magic that can change that." She swallowed and darted her gaze from his, "If there was a way to do such a thing-" she took in a deep breath, "Well-" she looked at him almost sympathetically, "We wouldn't even be having this conversation." 

She looked back at him and blinked. For a heartbeat, she looked like someone else, not the bold and audacious Queen he had met and had an utterly escalated intimate moment with, but someone shattered, someone broken, completely devoid of happiness. Someone hollow and alone. For a moment, he saw everything he had felt in the past year inside her dark eyes. He saw himself.

And then it was gone, if he had not dared to blink he could have thought he had imagined it all. Her trace of vulnerability a distant memory, and her eyes cold and distant.

"I shan't be rewarding you with _anything_ until your task is done." She said icily.

She walked past him and came to rest on her chaise longue once more. Robin looked at her and knew that whatever glimpse he had seen of a broken woman was gone, and so he went back to thinking about the task in hand.

"So-" Robin started, squaring his shoulders and tilting his chin up, "who do you want me to kill?"

…

**Please let me know what you think! **


	3. Unexpected Guest

After the Queen had unceremoniously informed Robin that he was to dispose of none other than her own stepdaughter, the Princess Snow White, she had gone into further detail about her assassination plan; she wanted to make sure her dark orders were not traced back to her.

Her main concern lay with the tricky fact that even though his first kill was to be done quickly and whilst he was concealed, the second one was much more elaborated. She insisted upon having him chase the sodding girl and when the job was done, carve out her heart and bring it back to her.

In order to accomplish such a feat, he was to disguise himself as one who the crown had taken pity on after a great fire had burned his farm to the ground, along with his family. Robin had to laugh at how much that made up story rang true to him – if he did not laugh he would have cried – but the Queen could not have known that. She had fabricated the story and arranged for him to join the forest patrol, which was the only part of the royal guard that posed as any threat to her plan.

The forest guards of the patrol were part of the royal guard who watched over the small forest about the castle. Since the kingdom had been peaceful for many years, the castle having not been under attack for decades, these guards were very few, and either too old or too young to do the actual work the Royal Guard required. They guarded the forest as sentinels, barely really armed, but if anything were to happen, it was their duty to sound an alarm.

And that very fact posed as the Queen's main problem; were the alarm to be sound, their cause was certain to be doomed, Robin would be hanged and the Queen, as she had told him dismissively would have the burden of finding yet another assassin and formulating an alternative plan.

She insisted upon having the brat's heart for her collection, something which Robin still could not understand why, for the organ would wither and smell, so why would she want to keep it? But the Queen was burning to have her grip on the girl's heart, and there was no talking her out of it – not that he tried; Robin was not suicidal.

If he were to dispose of the princess the same way as her companion, their troubles would be few and he could sooner, rather than later, claim his reward. A reward must unorthodox but Robin was way over any kind of beliefs on what was right or wrong. His reward was something the Queen had promised not with words but actions and now that Robin thought it over, he kicked himself internally for not having drawn a contract of some sort. That woman, after all, was a vicious one, and even her alluring figure was not able to mask that trait. Robin just hoped that when all the killing was over with, she would hold her end of the bargain, an end which involved both of them naked and sweaty.

That was how Robin had found himself in the Patrol's headquarters, the place looked ready to collapse and had a sinister aura about it, even in broad day light.

The clothes he had been given were not new; the last young guard who had been moved to the royal guard when he came of age had worn them. The uniform was simple and quite similar to the clothes Robin had worn previously; very light and rather comfortable, easy to manoeuvre in. The only painful difference was that he now had the royal crest glued to his chest, just above his heart, a sight that would have made his Merry Men laugh for an entire week.

Thinking about his once merry brothers made Robin's chest ache with anguish and loss and he had to fight to keep those memories at bay, in order not to blow his cover so early on. That part of his past had been locked away; he was not that person anymore. He could not be, not after everything he had done, he was not worthy of any of his brothers or their compassion.

Robin's attention was drawn away from reminiscing as he was forced to listen to the chief of the patrol, Captain Mormant, who kept on talking regardless if Robin was listening or not.

"Ah, I'm glad to see young Arthur's uniform fits ye!" the man said as Robin re-entered his office. The captain was well beyond his prime years, but still a big man nonetheless, he held himself with great pride. His hair was almost all white but Robin could see a few remaining grey strands. His skin was quite weathered and the wrinkles of his face tripled as he gave Robin a sincere yet tight smile.

"Yes, thank you sir." Robin replied, attempting to act as normally as possible.

The story the Queen had set for him was not difficult to make believable; the role of the grieving widower came quite naturally to him. The same could not be said of a certain Queen-

Why were his thoughts trailing in her direction yet again? He was supposed to concentrate on the mission at hand and draw as little suspicion as possible. But as soon as the memory of her daring hand on his cock hit him, he was helpless to resist. Robin had to only let his mind wonder for a few moments and the image of her all clad in red – and sometimes not clad in anything at all – would rush into his head.

"Good," the chief responded, "Ye have come just at the right time lad, we have been in need of another man-" the chief looked at him, then narrowed his eyes a little and gave a hearty chuckle, "How foolish of me, I seem to have forgotten to ask for yer name!"

Robin had to laugh, "It's Ro-" he stopped his sentence midway and closed his mouth as he almost blew his cover. His adventures with the Merry Men had not allowed for anonymity; he had once changed his name to Robin Hood but that man no longer was. Given that he was undercover, Robin deemed that using even his birth name was risky. And if he was recognized because of any name he once used for himself, it was doubtful the Queen would be pleased.

_Ah! That damned woman__! Once again, she manages to snake her way into my thoughts_

Robin cleared his throat, "Roland, my name is Roland." He gave the captain a small smile, and prayed to whatever high force above that he sounded sincere enough.

Thankfully, the man did not need much convincing, he accepted the name and extended his hand so Robin could shake it, "Very well, Roland."

"Since this forest is quiet and not very grand, we only need three guards to do the patrol during the day and two other during the night." The old man continued, "Ye will be responsible for the east patrol during the day, when ye're not on patrol yer time is yers to do as ye please."

"Very well, sir." Robin was feeling rather foolish, pretending he gave a damn about the instructions the old man was giving him.

_Honor _

Robin had almost scoffed as the old man told him how grateful he should be to have the _honor_ to serve the crown. Honor had only brought him misery, seeking to do the honorable thing for his people had mangled his life. Robin had ruined his life and the lives of the ones he loved the most.

The man standing before him held himself with pride as if this pathetic job of watching over a couple hundred trees was relevant.

Robin pushed down his real feelings around the subject of honor and paid closer attention to the man's words.

"Billy does the south patrol and Dominic the west. They will be here any minute," The old captain continued, "The day shift ends at sundown, and the boys come to report to me before they head home."

"I have no home to go back to sir; I was told I am to take my rest here." Robin said; it had been the last thing the Queen instructed him to say before she had ordered him away.

It was probably her way of keeping an eye on him, making sure he would not escape or betray her.

The old captain frowned and dropped his gaze. "I'm sorry about that lad," he looked up again, "But yes, ye are to stay here then." after a grave moment of heavy silence, he continued, "Come," he strode past Robin, "I'll show you the rest of the headquarters."

The old man pushed open the timeworn, wooden door that led to a common room. The space was not grand, but managed to accommodate a round table with several mismatched chairs around it. The bookcases contained more trinkets than actual books, and there were several wooden chairs, carved in different patterns dotted around the room, several of them in front of the lit fireplace, an obvious source of warmth in the cool weather.

"There was a time when this house was full of noise and filled to the brim." He muttered whilst looking around at the empty room, his expression haunted. "Those were the good fighting years, now… it's too quiet." He shook his head and looked at Robin, "I should not have said that, I am grateful that the late King managed to keep our kingdom in peace for so long. But one cannot help but miss more thrilling times of his life."

"Indeed" Robin responded grimly, feeling that last remark hit him as the cold harsh truth of his reality.

Robin was then led up the old, worn stairs, each step resulting in a sharp creak when weight of any kind was put on it. There was a long corridor upstairs with several wooden doors on either side, the hallway was barren except for a rotting carpet covering the surface of the floor. Even during the day the place looked haunted, Robin could only imagine it was going to be even worst once the sun was down. To his surprise, the carpet bore the color red, not as vibrant as the Queen's dress or lips, but faded as if it was just a trace of her having been here.

The old man led him to a door at the end of the corridor, as it was pushed open the hinges squeaked. He gestured for Robin to enter. The room was empty but for a bed, a small rectangular wooden table that looked like it was about to crumble and a petty mirror that hung just above it.

"Ye will be taking yer rest here." He said, "It's been a long time since anyone has spent the night,"

Robin knew that the man he as pretending to be was supposed to feel frightened about the prospect of lingering in such a place for an entire night. But he could not bring himself to feel threatened or afraid in any way.

What could possibly happen to him? He was technically the person everyone else should be afraid of; he was the monster who was going to assassinate the royal princess come sunrise.

"Thank you, sir." Robin replied with a nod, trying to push in some uneasiness into his voice for good measure.

Just as the captain nodded his way and made it to leave the room an idea formulated itself in Robin's head and before he could stop himself he inquired; "Captain, if you do not mind my intrusion, for how long have you served this order?"

The old man gave a hearty laugh as Robin had expected him to. "Ah, for longer than ye have been alive, lad."

"So I imagine you have been in the presence of the King and Queen on many an occasion." Robin said, calculating his every word.

"Oh, yes!" the old man's ego was starting to swell as Robin's words hit bull's eye. "I was even present at the royal wedding." The man said proudly.

"Even the second one, sir?" Robin asked, pretending to be fascinated. _Old fool._

"But of course!" the old man beamed, "That girl was lucky indeed to have won the wee princess' affections so quickly."

Robin was confused, "Girl?"

"Oh yes. When our present Queen first came to the castle, already engaged to the King, she was merely a lass. Seventeen years of age if I'm not mistaken." The old man stated.

"Seventeen?" Robin could not help but let it slip, "How many years was the King the senior to her, sir?" he was slightly horrified and feared to count the years separating the young woman from her royal husband himself.

The captain gave him a quizzical look at his inquiry but replied all the same, "I cannot say for sure lad," his brow creased as he counted the years, "Something along 30 years of difference I reckon-" he stopped and looked at Robin, "Why do you ask?" there was suspicion in his words.

"Just curiosity, I guess," Robin tried to shrug the man's question as best as he could, "She was the one who gave me a new life after what happened with my farm-" playing the farm card always seemed to have an immediate effect on the old bear, who smiled sadly at him.

_I do not need your pity you pathetic sack of bones-_

There was a small moment of silence and the man spoke again, "She was a quiet, timid thing when she first came here, rarely smiled, and when she did it would never really reach her eyes." The old man continued looking out the small window, "At that time my rounds would take me near the stables, I was able to spot her there caring for a mare she had brought from her parent's estate on more than one occasion." His brow creased as he recollected, "It was there where she seemed most at ease. Don't you find that odd?" he asked without drawing his gaze from the outside view.

"Yes." Robin responded automatically in nothing more than a whisper.

His plan had worked perfectly; he knew these old castle coots took great pride in boasting how much they knew about their lords. Robin was fortunate enough that the old man chose just the royal wanted to hear about.

_The Queen _

Although, it seemed as if he was talking about a completely different person than the one Robin had met only hours ago.

_Timid? Quiet?_

Robin had been witness to several sides of the Queen that day, ranging from promiscuous to determined to heartless, but he was yet to experience the side Mormant had seen.

"Have ye ever seen her lad?" the old man finally turned to him whilst he inquired.

"No, I have not." Robin lied, his mind filling with images of translucent lace, red velvet and crimson lips and searing hands on his-

"Well, ye will sooner or later. The East path leads to the King's resting place. She's bound to make her way through it any day now to pay her respects, as his daughter does every day." The captain informed him and Robin was reminded once more of why he had been brought to this shabby house in the first place.

"I have only heard rumors," Robin tried, this was a risky question but he could help but ask it nonetheless, "but they say she is the fairest of all women, is that true?"

Robin found the old man's reaction comical as his face turned red, before speaking in a hushed, serious tone; "I bear the utmost respect for my King, boy. As should ye." He was looking at Robin right in the eye, but then the his gaze dropped and went out of focus as a small smile appeared on his face when he continued, "God forgive me for saying this, but she is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen-"

Robin wondered what else he could have gotten out of the old bear if a noise downstairs had not drawn his attention away.

"Come boy, the others are here."

…

Robin was introduced to his day patrol companions, Billy and Dominic, who were far too young and foolish to be handling any kind of weaponry. They were both a foot shorter than Robin, not a day older than 18 and far too merry for his taste.

"It is a rather tedious job if I can be completely honest with you, my friend." Billy had said after the old captain had taken his leave and the three of them were sitting alone in the common room "People hardly ever use the forest route anymore."

Robin knew he had to gather as much information as he could of the possible whereabouts of his 'patrol companions' for his plan to succeed, so he swallowed up his complete detestation to their merry air and engaged in conversation.

"So you basically spend all day walking about a road that no one even uses?" Robin tried to sound as the pair did.

"Not _all_ day, no," Billy explained with a small smile, he looked back as if to check if the chief was indeed gone and continued, "We do walk, from one resting stop to another, and cannot help if we happen to lose track of time whilst, resting-"

Both young men burst into laughter and Robin gave them a tight smile he hoped they would not notice was completely fabricated and not at all sincere. But the information they had yielded was quite helpful indeed, if the two other moronic sentinels to this forest were sitting around doing God knows what instead of their duty, the chances of them sounding the alarms was much smaller.

When their laugher ceased Dominic took a big intake of air and pointed out, "Although, Roland will be taking the East watch."

"That's true! Lucky sod!" Billy patted Robin on the shoulder and he felt like relieving the young lad of that limb, "You will be able to steal a glance or two at the lovely little princess."

Robin nodded at that and wondered if the Queen would not mind if he got rid of two additional people. They laughed too much and far too easily which irritated Robin to no end. They reminded him too much of the youngest of his merry man. Lads who had made blood oaths with him. Blood oaths that Robin had broken. Every single one of them.

He wondered if the Merry Man still existed even in his absence or if they had broken apart since they had no leader. But there was slight comfort in the knowledge that Little John would never let that happen-

"-patrolling under those skirts!" he caught Dominic saying, drawing his attention back to the present conversation. The boys were both laughing and sending mock kisses off into the air.

Robin rolled his eyes.

"Have you caught sight of her yet?" Billy asked Robin.

"Sorry, of whom?" Robin did not care who

"Of the princess Snow White, that's who!" the boy responded, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"No, I have not." Robin said not really trying to conceal his irritation anymore since he had gotten the information he needed. He rose from his seat abruptly in order to prevent himself from strangling one of the little imps. "Lads." He said as he nodded to each of the boys.

The boy's smiles froze on their faces for half a second and Robin turned on his heel and crossed the door that led to the staircase. When he was out of the young men's eye reach, he could hear them resuming their conversation, their loud voices still reaching Robin even when he had lifted his foot onto the first step.

"Enough about the princess Dom. You know whose _royal_ sorrows I would love to _soothe_ away." Robin stopped dead, for some reason he had a very good idea of the bearer of these sorrows. His blood began to stir a little hotter inside his veins at the suggestive manner Billy uttered the word 'soothe' that had nothing to do with comfort and everything to do with several sexual acts.

"She looks so different now." Dominic said, "You should have seen her today Bill!"

The rest of his statement was too quiet for Robin to hear, so he took a few steps back towards the common room and pressed his ear against the oaken door.

"…could have sworn I saw her lips curl in a smile at the ceremony." Robin caught Billy saying.

"Don't be daft Bill, why would she smile at her husband's funeral?" Dominic asked.

"I don't know, maybe he was bad in the sack." Robin could hear both lads gasp at Billy's words, which was followed by a heavy silence. Both lads suddenly burst into laughter in unison.

"I would most certainly like to help her majesty with _that_!" Billy said as he tried to catch his breath.

"Bill, you are crazy, if anyone hears you-" Robin could hear the sound of chairs dragging on the floor and heavy footsteps making their way towards the spot he was standing. He quickly rushed up the wooden stairs before the boys could catch him eavesdropping. Robin's years as an outlaw making it easy for him to make it to the top of the stairs swiftly and soundlessly, regardless of the fact that the staircase was almost crumbling to pieces.

…

Robin had been finally left alone in the old batty house Mormant insisted on calling Head Quarters. When he was sure the house as well as its whereabouts were deserted, he went out to retrieve his bow and quiver that he had hidden inside a tree. He found a little extra precaution to be necessary since not twenty-four hours from then, two bodies would be found dead somewhere around the woods, and these very same arrows would be sticking out of them. Therefore, it was best if Robin concealed the fact that he was armed at all, the dagger the Queen had given him to carve out the heart tied tightly around his leg near his ankle.

As he sat on the edge of the squeaky bed, feeling like he finally had a moment to himself, Robin started to reflect on the events of this insane day.

If anyone had told him that in one cycle of the sun he would be hired to murder a princess, join the royal guard, which was sworn to protect said princess, and have the Queen herself bite his earlobe and squeeze his hard member, he would have laughed until he passed out.

The Queen's plan was quite elaborate, as if she had taken her time to think over every last detail of it.

She wanted that girl gone for good.

The reason? Robin had no idea.

Probably so the brat could not have the opportunity to rouse up her own set of allies and take over the crown herself – royals had the disgusting habit of stabbing their own in the back.

Robin did not preoccupy his mind too much with the reasoning behind the Queen's orders but rather at the Queen's generous offer of payment.

His thoughts easily darted back to when spoken word was not at use between them. How absolutely electrifying it had felt when their bare skin came in contact, how the sound of her moans had made him momentarily delirious, how the taste of her skin still lingered on his lips.

He wanted her, he wanted _far_ more than what he had gotten that afternoon. Robin found himself looking forward to completing his mission so he could bask in his reward. He vowed to fuck that woman so hard she would feel the ache his cock had caused her for days.

As Robin's thoughts lingered on the seductive Queen, he could not help but think of the young, shy, seventeen-year-old bride who loved horses he had heard about-

Suddenly a cloud of smoke appeared before his eyes and Robin shot to his feet and reached for his bow instinctively, drawing an arrow and pointing it to right to the center of the smoky storm.

Robin's heart was racing in his chest but his hold on the bow and arrow was still firm. As the smoke cleared he could make out a figure that could only belong to one female, one he had become quite familiar with that very afternoon, one that he wouldn't mind becoming even more familiar with in the future.

The Queen was staring back at him with an unimpressed scowl and a raised eyebrow.

"Put that silly thing away outlaw." She commanded.

Robin was surprised to see her again so soon after their earlier meeting. He was aiming his arrow right between her enchanting but impatient eyes; he quickly drew his aim away from her and loosened his grip on his weapon.

"Forgive me. I thought-" Robin started but she promptly interrupted him

"Your thoughts do not interest me in the least, thief." She snapped. "I only came here to deliver something to you."

She was still wearing the same dark red velvet dress, but the intricate hairdo she had worn had been undone. All of her long black tresses were cascading down her back, it looked as if she had just carelessly removed the pins and had tossed her hair to the side, but the silky, black locks framed her gorgeous face perfectly, as if she were some matter of a Goddess.

Unfortunately for Robin, that face was not wearing the same seductive expression from a couple of hours ago, but rather a somewhat annoyed one.

"You honor me, your majesty. Coming to see me, in person_,_ to make the delivery." The daring words were out before Robin could stop them along with a knowing smirk.

_Had he gone completely insane?_ This woman was downright mercurial; any step out of line and his fate could be far worse than what she had in store for the princess.

She let out a disgusted huff and rolled her eyes, before turning her displeased gaze onto him. "Do not flatter yourself thief; I only came myself because no one can know about our arrangement."

"Well that thing inside your mirror most certainly knows about this arrangement right to the very last detail." Robin taunted, meeting her eyes – which widened at the mention of the mirror.

"_That_ is irrelevant. _He_ is irrelevant." Her words were cold and harsh. _Did she detest everyone?_

"Speaking of which-" she waved her hand and the small mirror that had been hanging above the table disappeared in a cloud of smoke. She hummed looking at the now empty wall.

Her eyes went back to his as she extended her hand in his direction. "Take this."

Seeing that she did not intend to move, Robin took a few steps towards her and inspected the contents of her extended palm. A small broche, it was but a wee thing, the size of a button, shaped like a four-ended star of a compass. It bore the vivid color of red that had been returned to his repertoire that day. He felt that odd zapping sensation when their skin came into contact again. When the Queen quickly withdrew her hand, Robin came to the conclusion that it could not be one-sided; she _must_ have felt it too.

"Pin it on that disgraceful jacket of yours." She spat with disdain.

Robin did as he was told, pinning it on the left side of his jacket, just above his heart, "If your intention was to better my garments, I'm afraid the broche is of little assistance."

Robin was fairly certain the Queen had not come to play, but he felt an odd kind of satisfaction in delivering those words to her and watching her eyes grow wide with touchiness.

"Don't be ridiculous, outlaw," she dismissed, but Robin could sense that her words held less poison than before. "That broche is enchanted."

Both of Robin's eyebrows shot up at this new information.

_How could he have been so stupid?_

Robin turned his eyes to the broche that was now pinned on his jacket, wondering if it would come off if he tried to remove it, "So you can control me?"

"No, you buffoon!" She retorted as she narrowed her eyes. "It's so I can see everything you see through my looking glass. I want to watch."

"Watch what?"

"What do you think, you idiot?" She responded, her dark eyes igniting with wild fire, "I want to see you rid the world of that insufferable, spoiled brat with my own eyes."

Robin took an unconscious step back.

"But isn't your looking glass currently housing that 'irrelevant' friend of yours?" Robin said with a smirk, trying to bring back a more pleasantly passionate version of the Queen.

She rolled her eyes yet again, "I have managed to enchant _one_ looking glass so he-" she stopped halfway through her tirade – which she said with a tone so fed up it was as if she had been talking to him for hours. It probably felt like it.

"I do not owe you an explanation of any kind, thief." She snapped, the furious fire back in her eyes as she stalked over to where he stood and promptly pushed him back with a single hand on his chest.

Robin tripped slightly, losing his footing for a moment and almost stumbling into the small, battered table. She gave a pleased huff through her nose and smirked at his loss of balance. Robin found it odd that she would resort to physically pushing him; he was well aware of her being quite capable of doing much more damaging things with her magic.

With yet a new shade of red dancing through her amused, fiery eyes she closed the distance between them as one of her hands rose to grab one of the lapels of his jacket to tug him closer to her.

Their lips were almost touching and Robin could scrutinize the intense, red color that adorned her lips. The vibrancy of the ruby red shade was as if she had just colored them, which was a ridiculous notion; why would she-

Robin's train of thought was interrupted as the Queen said through clenched teeth, "You would do well to remember that I'm in charge; _I_'m the Queen."

Their lips were a mere hair's breadth away and Robin longed to take her plump lips into his and ravage that devious mouth. He could feel the Queen's heart beating fast against his chest and he knew that anger was not the only thing surging through her.

"Now show me some respect-" she spat at him, "-and kneel." she finished her command with a raised eyebrow, the hand clutching his lapel shoving him downwards.

Robin had to kneel whether he wanted to or not, his knees hitting the wooden boards of the floor. He looked ahead only to find he could not bring himself to complain of his current position, since now his head was aligned with her-

"That's better," Robin heard her say but kept his gaze forward.

_So close_

His face was so close to the red fabric he could almost feel the velvety feel on it on the tip of his nose.

Only a breath and a layer of fabric away from something the Queen possessed that could work some magic of its own on him, no enchantments required. Robin licked his lips. His mind racing with ideas of what he could do if that damned ruby red velvet was not there.

To his utter disappointment, she took a step back. Robin looked up. She was grinning as she studied him from above, _Gods above…_ that woman was stunning.

With a wave of her hand, Robin watched mesmerized as a tear started making its way up from the hem of her dress to just above her knee, her bare leg now visible to him. Robin's jaw dropped at the sight and he had to swallow and blink a couple of times, afraid this had all been a hallucination. But as his gaze fixated on the newly exposed skin, he knew it was all too real. What he could see of her leg was downright flawless, perfectly toned and silky smooth.

Suddenly, she brought the foot belonging to the exposed leg to rest on his neck. The toe of her shoe slightly lifting his chin – forcing Robin to look up at her - as her heel dug dangerously into his Adam's Apple. The sensation was both erotic and chilling, for now Robin was exposed to a little bit of leg skin, but were she to lean just enough weight on that shoe and her pointy heel would surely meet the insides of his throat.

She inclined her body forward with alarming precision, leaning just enough weight to make him fear for his dear life but looking so predatory, he wanted to fuck her even if she killed him during the act. She outstretched her arm so her elbow was on her raised knee, her hand coming to her chin. Her index finger travelled along her red lips, Robin's eyes followed the movement as she parted them and took the tip into her mouth for a second, biting it flirtatiously as she studied him, still heel digging treacherously on his neck.

"Now, let's see if you are really worth keeping." She purred her eyes sparkling with anticipation, Robin had to swallow again, to which she gave a little grin.

She leaned back and trailed her foot in a tortuously slow speed down his neck before it came to rest on Robin's shoulder. Her high pointy heel was now digging into the flesh of his shoulder with a little bit more force than before, the scratch the sharp point had left on his neck stung, but all pain simply dissipated at her next words.

"Now, let's put that smart mouth of yours to good use."

Her foot left his shoulder as she kicked off the high-heeled weapon she had had on his throat moments ago as well as its twin. Her now bare foot returned to his chest, trailing further to hook just behind his shoulder and before he could blink, she yanked him to her with it.

Robin, feeling his member respond accordingly, was absolutely delighted at what had just transpired; this woman was truly a puzzle, quite unique, he was certain he had never met another like her.

After all the bashing and the pushing around, if Robin had heard correctly, she wanted _his _mouth on her. He had never met anybody who could awaken so many different emotions in him all at once. The emotion he favored on focusing on now had a lot to do with the delicious leg that was hooked over his shoulder.

Robin took notice that she had lost a few inches in removing her shoes, which was just fine by him since now his face was perfectly aligned with the apex of her thighs. He licked his lips in anticipation and heard her say, "Don't make me regret this, thief" she ran her hand about his hair, her nails scrapping his scalp with an odd gentleness that could only mean one thing. As if he had predicted it, she grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled so his eyes met hers and slurred, "Pleasure me." She then let go of his hair with very little regard to care but Robin himself was not caring much either.

He could hardly believe this was all actually real as his hand went to the Queen's ankle, the one which was not over his shoulder, and worked his way up her silky smooth leg, his palm heating up with the warmth and sparks from the bare contact. His touch was light, something that surprised him immensely, but this whole affair was all too good to be true and might very well be a dream, so Robin decided he was going to take his time and make it last.

His searing hand reached the Queen's thigh, the feel of her meaty limb in his hands was electrifying, her skin was so smooth he was afraid the merest scrap of his nails would mark it permanently. But then, the idea of giving the Queen something to remember him by was far too enjoyable, so he dragged his nails back down – drawing a soft moan from the monarch as her left hand came to rest on his shoulder.

He continued to tease that other leg as his attentions were brought to the one that was curved over his shoulder. Robin did not give space to logical thought, placed his lips upon the flesh of the side of her knee, and nibbled on the skin. The Queen shivered at that first contact and then proceeded to hum quietly when Robin began trailing open-mouthed kisses, hot and wet, on the flesh exposed to him.

Robin made a vow to taste every single inch of the strong but so very soft legs. As he gently bit into the little skin of her thigh that was available, and was amused at the Queen's gasp as her muscles quivered under his lips.

But the outlaw's greatest delight came when his wondering hand reached the soft curve of the Queen's arse and found _nothing_ covering it. He had to smirk at her nerve, he ran his nails over her ass and around her hip until he reached a small amount of hair in between her thighs, which only confirmed his theory, the Queen had foregone undergarments for this particular visit.

As Robin's thumb found the Queen's core she let out a small moan when he brushed it past her clit, he groaned when he discovered that, indeed, the only thing covering her sex was slick arousal. He slid a tentative finger into her and she gave a small whine of appreciation.

The vision of this goddess like woman, bucking her hips against his finger, stormy eyes shut, plump red lips hanging open and head slightly tilted back, was simply _heavenly_. The notion that the _Queen_ had come to him in this bleak, shabby house with the lame excuse of delivering that pathetic broche without any undergarments and already wet with desire, sent a fire through Robin's body.

Robin felt a wave of lust wash over him when he mused that it was as if the Queen was confessing to him that she ached for him to take her and ravage her until they both passed out with exhaustion. Even if that had not been the Queen's precise intention, at that moment, having that delicious woman wrapped about him, Robin felt quite bold.

With this newfound revelation, Robin slid his finger out of the Queen's wet folds just as she bucked her hips forward which would have resulted in her falling over had she not been wrapped about Robin.

"What the hell do you think-" She halted her sentence midway when Robin paid no attention whatsoever to what she was saying, grabbed the ends of the tear she had created in her dress and pulled until the slit reached her navel.

The Queen let out a big gasp and Robin looked up and grinned, expecting to have riled her enough to see that fire in her eyes again, but to his utter and complete surprise she let out a hearty laugh, not mocking but almost adolescent – as if she'd been caught misbehaving.

"Nice handy work, outlaw," she said, a little out of breath. She bit her lower lip as she looked at him. She cupped his right cheek and drew her thumb along his lower lip and he immediately took that thumb into his mouth and sucked hard, twirling his tongue around it and earning a hiss from the Queen when he bit down. When he released it she continued, in a much more sultry voice; "Now fuck me with that tongue."

"With pleasure, your majesty" he breathed.

Robin let out a low groan as he turned his gaze ahead and was met with the sight of the Queen's bare, glistening folds. The sight, combined with her enticing and direct orders, suddenly made him hungry, famished. Luckily for him, the feast was laid right in front of him.

He quite literally pounced on her inner thigh, biting and licking and working his way up to her center. But just as he was about to reach them, he traced a teasing lick on one of her outer lips, he turned his mouth to her other inner thigh and gave it the same treatment.

With every new contact, he felt an electric connection; the odd overwhelming sensation of their flesh coming together was indescribable and absolutely addictive. It tingled every inch of Robin's flesh that brushed against hers and made his heart race.

The Queen sprang her hips forward and gave a small whine in between her soft moans, urging him to attend to more flaming areas of her anatomy than her inner thigh. Robin then turned his attention to her heated center and gave her a generous lick that drew a throaty moan from between the Queen's parted lips. He licked her once again, but this time his tongue remained in her folds and quickly found her bundle of nerves, which he started to play with, teasing with his tongue. The Queen's hands came to grab onto his hair as she let out a soft yelp.

Robin licked, nipped, and sucked the Queen's sensitive knot thoroughly until she was panting and digging her nails into his scalp. His hands had found their way underneath the ripped dress and started kneading her phenomenal arse. Robin's grip was sure to leave crimson angry nail bites on her rear, but that only encouraged him to clutch her with more fervor. He wanted her to think of him every time she sat that glorious arse on that pompous throne of hers.

He held her firmly as his mouth went down to explore her wet folds. The Queen tasted like the most exquisite thing in the world, and the combination of her arousal and her bittersweet perfume was something Robin could easily get addicted to. If he was not addicted already. He could not seem to get enough of her musical whines of pleasure, and her cunt was just delicious, he could stay down there for days.

When he finally did as he had been told and promptly fucked her with his tongue, letting it slide inside her as much as he could and then withdrawing, the Queen threw her head back and let out a strangled moan. After a few thrusts, Robin found particular spot just a little beyond her entrance that made her open her mouth in an "O" and for a few moments, she seemed unable to breathe. So Robin pressed to it, licking furiously until she was again able to fill her lungs and let out a scream that would have no doubt woken the entire castle had they been there.

Robin grinned against her folds and he felt her hand come to slap him upside the head when his tongue stopped. Her voice was positively throaty and raspy when she said; "If you value your life do not dare and stop now you-"

But she was unable to finish her insult as Robin's mouth shot to her clit once again and her sentence ended on a strangled moan.

He sucked fiercely and brought one of his hands to her soaking folds, plunging two fingers inside her and pumping them in and out to match the vigorousness of his tongue. When her hands left his head, Robin stole a glance up and the vision nearly made him stand and fuck her right on that spot. She had her eyes closed, her bottom lip caught in between her teeth and her back slightly arched as each of her hands squeezed her breasts hard. Since she was not wearing anything but the dress Robin could see her erect nipples through the black lace as she pinched them and hissed.

Robin fought his urges, which were not few, and continued to work her up, stealing glances at her coming undone above him. Soon she was thrusting her hips with force onto his face and he met her eagerness, sucking her clit even harder. He added a third finger and bit her nub softly to which she ordered; "Harder."

And he bit harder, three fingers bucking furiously into her eager opening and his other hand squeezing her rear. The Queen was letting out high pitched yelps of "yes!", "faster!" and "_harder_!". These were orders Robin was willing to follow, especially when he was rewarded with louder moans and the feeling of her walls tightening around his fingers.

The Queen's legs began to tremble as her hands returned to their fierce grip on his shoulders, forcing him even deeper into her. Robin held on tight to her arse with one hand, the other frantically plunging in and out of her.

The Queen came with a glorious moan and an unroyal "_fuck_ yes!"

She held onto his head until her high faded, then her grip on his hair loosened. That was definitely going to ache for a while, but what did Robin care? He had just made the Queen come with his mouth and one hand, and ignoring the fact that his hard member was desperate for release, he could not have been more satisfied. He had made the Queen pine for him, just like he was pining for her, and _that_ brought him immense pleasure.

Robin removed his fingers from her and but did not move from his position, only resting his forehead on the Queen's lower belly as they both tried to catch their breaths. As the Queen's breathing finally evened out, she cleared her throat and his head shot up so he could meet her eyes. They were still heated, and her facial expression betrayed her satisfaction as a soft, unconscious smile danced around her crimson lips and a soft, red blush had taken residence upon her cheeks. She took a deep breath and addressed him, her royal arrogance returned.

"You can remove your person from me now." She raised an eyebrow and Robin lifted her leg from his shoulder and placed it back on the cold, stone floor. As soon as the skin contact was gone, the Queen was engulfed into a cloud of smoke and when it cleared, he could see that her dress had been mended and she was a few inches taller.

Robin stood, quite uncertain of which personality the Queen would throw his way now. She looked at him, her face emotionless, her eyebrow still arched. Her gaze drifted down to his erection – which was almost bursting out of his pants. She hummed and closed the distance between them, letting her hand rest on his abdomen.

"I see you have a little situation here, thief," she teased in a whisper. She brushed her hand lightly over his member and Robin could not believe his luck as he groaned at the contact.

"Yes, it seems I do, your majesty." He replied, his voice a little hoarse as her hand lingered and pressed against him harder. "Would you care to help remedy it?" he asked with a smirk.

She gave a mocking laugh, "Now," she got impossibly close, her hand pressed onto him and her lips were a whisper away from his. There was an almost desperate pull which told Robin to close the almost nonexistent distance between them but before he could act upon his wishes she drew away abruptly, "-why would I ever do that?" She moved away from him to stand by the door, and Robin missed the heat of her skin immediately, "Your task was to bring _me_ pleasure, thief, not the order way round." She gave another hearty laugh.

Deep inside Robin knew that she would not be so willing to go down on her knees and return the favor. Therefore, her harsh words did not even scrape the surface in order to wound him. And so, he merely inquired, "And was it pleasurable enough for you, your majesty?"

She huffed, hiding her amusement with an indifferent; "You served your purpose."

Robin saw the smoke appearing about her feet and ordered; "Wait!"

The smoke dissipated and the Queen looked confused and slightly irritated, "What?"

"Could I just ask you something, your majesty?"

She groaned and rolled her eyes. "Make it quick."

"What was that thing, in your mirror?" Robin asked.

She had to cover her mouth to suppress her chuckle. "That-" She started, "-was the last man I seduced into killing someone for me."

Robin's eyes went wide and wild. What was this? He could not be jealous of a disembodied face.

_No_

_Could he?_

Had that man in the mirror feasted on her as he had just done? Robin felt his chest tighten and his blood rush faster as a ringing sound played in his ear. Why was he feeling jealous? She was not his. And it was doubtful she would ever be.

"Unfortunately for him, he grew far too attached, which led to his current position." She said lightly as if it was a trivial matter that a person was trapped inside a mirror because of her.

"So, you trapped him in a mirror because he got too attached to you?" Robin asked, still slightly shocked.

"He trapped _himself_ in a mirror." She corrected, rather rashly. "I'd learn from his mistakes if I were you."

She winked and smirked as she disappeared into a cloud of smoke, leaving him high and dry, utterly confused and fairly wary. Was it really worth getting in this deep with someone so volatile?

Robin sat down on his creaky bed with a huff, looking down at his erection and sighing with a grin.

It was; it was very much worth it.


	4. Unseen Spectator

Regina reappeared inside her bedchambers soundlessly - the remains of her magical purple smoke dissipating into nothing - as she took a deep breath, a large grin working its way about her features. She knew the color red still flushed her cheeks as she felt a pleasurable tingle down below, as if the thief's tongue had burned into the skin of her intimacy. She released a satisfied sigh, her whole body still vibrated from the high she had just come down from, she twisted her neck to the side until it gave a pleasant click.

"Who knew negotiating with assassin thieves could be so entertaining?"

Regina could not even remember when it was that she had started planning how she was going to rid herself of Snow. When the brat had sought solace in her, Regina had held her – making empty promises of how she would now be mother and father – but she had wanted nothing more than to use a small amount of magic and as much physical force as she could to snap the girl's neck on the spot. Nevertheless, she knew better than to give into those wishes, she longed to bathe in the young woman's blood but, after doing so, she wished to keep her head on her shoulders.

A plan was needed, so a plan she fabricated. It was of great assistance to Regina that Snow insisted upon having no other escort but the sweet and old Johanna accompanying her to Leopold's last resting place. But Regina always knew that killing the brat herself was not an option, the kingdom was still very much loyal to her and she knew they would turn on her if she so much as touched a single stand of her hair. She needed someone to get their hands dirty _for_ her, but none of her men would do quite simply because they weren't _hers_, they served the crown, had sworn an oath to protect the royal family, they would never turn on Snow, let alone do all the atrocities she had planned.

_No_, Regina needed someone from the outside, someone with no compassion, who would show no mercy, with no morals, no scruples to hold him back even when faced with Snow's innocent green eyes and annoying pleas. Someone with no code, no honor and with incredible skill, quick and clean, and yet cold blooded enough to cut out a heart for her from Snow's helpless lifeless body.

She had been lucky he had been causing trouble just in the neighboring kingdom, making enough uproar to reach Leopold's ears one fateful afternoon whilst he had been pretending to be a decent human being and hearing – but not really listening – to his people's requests at the throne room.

Regina's heart had almost skipped a beat whilst she heard about how the once fair and just Robin Hood had killed fourteen men alone in one night. How he had stung them with his fatal arrows, not poisoned but aimed in ways that made men as tall as doors drop lifeless to the ground immediately. Regina's cheeks had burned with enthusiasm when hearing he had slashed and killed any men who would stand in his way, and when the innkeeper's wife had come into the fight screaming words no one could recall, he had slid her throat with one single motion of his dagger.

_Perfect_

_He would do just fine_

Regina chose to procure his service only after Leopold was stone dead and although her connections were extensive, there was a small amount of difficulty in locating him, since he had not been seen causing uproar for a little more than a month.

But fate and luck were on her side when word reached her that he had been spotted in a village within the borders of her kingdom. She had sent her men to fetch him knowing he would never answer to a royal request and already readied herself in making arrangements to summon a good sum in gold as payment for his services.

All thought of gold and formal negotiations evaporated from her mind when she set her eyes on Snow's future killer. He was striking, although a bit of washing was required, he was attractive enough that even when dirty he looked good enough to eat. Ideas of how she could save the crown some gold and get her bed heated up with this feral looking man – whilst still having Snow's head on a platter - invaded her head.

She had to admit the biting words did amuse her, he was bold, and apparently there was very little of which he feared, which made his prospects even better. The burning looks they sent each other flared Regina up and before she knew it, her teeth were sinking into the soft flesh of his earlobe whilst she could feel his body heat buzzing only a few inches away from her own.

When she had first touched him, there was spark, an odd electricity she could not recall having ever felt before. Regina brushed it off and tried to focus on retelling her plan, but when his body was flush against hers, his lips attached to the skin of her neck, she could feel the odd twinge yell at her.

And to hell with self-control, he had already agreed to do her bidding anyway.

She felt _good_

No, more than good, she felt incredible. As he bit down on her flesh, she could not help but moan and soften in his touch. His erection hot and stiff against her as he rubbed himself on her shamelessly, uncaring of consequences were he to cross a line.

Even after he had left, she could still feel his presence; an odd buzzing shiver ran up and down her spine when she recalled their brief but intense moment together.

Regina gathered she had to be going raving mad, he was, - she had to admit – quite attractive and rough around the edges, just the way she liked it, but this whole affair was ridiculous. She looked back in all the much longer and much more intimate exchanges she had had throughout her life. She had tried to convince herself they had felt just as good, pure physical pleasure, which was all they had been and that was what she had just had had with the outlaw.

Regina did not know the reason why she had gone to see him again in the first place after such little time apart, only a mere set of hours. She had told herself it was to prove herself wrong, that his touch was not all that good and that their skin to skin contact did not make her dizzy and at times, weak at the knees.

She had been wrong

She did not want to admit it but the thief's performance that evening was probably one of the best times a man had had his lips on her intimacy; surely Jefferson had been less prickly and gentler, had known her inside and out, therefore known exactly how she liked it and what made her scream. And yet, Regina had experienced such a powerful sensation when the archer's mouth was on her, making magic of his own when his set of teeth nibbled at her clit, extracting ferocious sounds from her mouth whilst he pumped his fingers into her. It was a brand of pleasure she could not trace back to ever feeling before.

It was electric, spreading itself throughout Regina's entire body, pulsating from every single spot he had touched her.

Regina had never been so wrong about something.

And now she found herself craving her next encounter with the outlaw already; meticulously planning what she would have him do, and wondering what, exactly, she was going to give him as a reward.

She headed to her dresser with her head still in the clouds, a pleased smile played on her recently colored lips. For even though her original plan was to pay a visit to certify herself he was not all that, Regina made sure to add a new coat of red to her smile as well as letting down her hair from the half updo he had half ruined with his searing hands on their first encounter. But Regina would rather die before letting anyone know of her concern as to her appearance when the bandit saw her.

Her smile, however, dropped immediately to give way to a scowl, followed by a small growl of discontentment when she eyed the contents lying on the top of the mahogany piece of furniture in front of her.

She had set aside _all_ of the jewels Leopold had given her throughout their ten long and torturous years of marriage. Regina planned to get rid of all those pretty chunks of jewelry for the mere sight of those bright pink and sky blue rocks made her sick to her stomach.

The man clearly had never truly pondered upon what she might like or what might actually go well with her complexion. _No_; he had simply given her things he knew his first wife would favor and sometimes even some of Eva's old things. Because crying out the woman's name whilst he took Regina clearly had not been enough, Regina was almost sure he was trying to recreate the image of his late wife in her, the very thought of it made her want to empty the contents of her stomach unto his ridiculous bald head.

As well as making Regina's life a living hell by making her play babysitter to the girl responsible for the death of the love of Regina's life, Leopold always made her aware of the fact that he found Eva to be so much of a better fitting Queen, especially when Regina would not show sufficient amount of enthusiasm when he had presented her with such gifts.

_Old git!_

Regina took one turquoise ring in between her fingers as she sat down on the stool by the dresser. A vile laugh suddenly burst from her lips, her heart beating steady and nicely on her chest, as if she had been injected with some sort of addictive toxin.

_If everything goes according to plan, I am having that thief fuck me in Leopold's bed. _

Regina broadly smiled at the idea of the Prince of Thieves himself having his wicked way with her on the King's bed.

_Revenge was sweet indeed_

"Where were you?"

Regina's delicious and easy heartbeat almost stopped altogether when the hollow voice reached her senses; upon reflex a loud gasp left her lips and Regina jumped up from her chair and looked around with wild eyes, searching for the source of the odd question.

She did not have to look a long time for the source could not move, the hovering head on the mirror of her dresser looked upon her attentively.

"What do you mean, 'entertaining'? Where were you? I have to know!" He demanded.

Regina's rage built with every one of the former genie's questions. _How dare he?_

She was so enraged and shocked that she could only stare at him, her eyes almost popping out of her head and her hands clutching the ends of the dresser with so much force her knuckles turned white and her nails created crescent shaped indents in the wood.

"I looked for you everywhere and couldn't see you. I had to see you-"

When the man's words took on a sweeter tone, his eyes became pleading and desperate, Regina managed to grasp her wits about herself again as reality came back into focus.

Before she could think about what she was doing, Regina let out a rage-filled scream as she drove her fist towards the reflective surface that housed the haunting head, with as much force as she had behind her, not a drop of magic in the mix, just pure physical strength made even stronger by rage. Her fist made contact with the cold glass, which shattered where her force had struck it, creating crooked lines of deformity about the rest of the reflective surface. Pieces of broken glass mingled with the unwanted jewels, as she shook off a few shards that had attached themselves to her hand. She felt a small sting on her working hand, knowing that she must have hurt herself in her hate-filled act but the pleading voice faded away.

Regina was tired, worn out, the events of the past week having drained her almost completely. Had she known the price she would have to pay for playing with the affections of that genie, she would have thought of another way – _any other way_ \- to get rid of Leopold. Now she was haunted by his image day and night he was there inside every single reflective surface she would look upon and it was driving her to the brick of insanity with apprehension and hate.

He was possessive, jealous, as if she was his to have only because he had made a sacrifice for her, as if she owed him something. Regina knew it too well it was not the case but still he would demand to know where she was and what she was doing, which, combined with his overly saccharine and meek way of addressing her – as if he still was a slave to her bidding - resulted in Regina shattering more mirrors than she could ever count.

He was still there; there were still chunks of glass big enough to house his infuriating head. He was looking at her, his face in every reflective piece of the trashed mirror that now mingled amongst the jewelry she loathed with all her being. Those little pieces of fortune had served more as shackles than adornments; they symbolized her slavery to the dead monarch, and displayed the way her life had been completely deprived of liberty.

_But that was no more_

_The King is dead_

Simmering purple rage mixed with a dark manner of joy filled Regina's heart as she lifted her hand, palm up. Thoughts of all the pain and all the hate she felt towards the people that had led her to this life; the King, her mother, _Snow_.

As the joy and hatred consumed her, darkness tinging her already blackening heart, pumping erratically with vile happiness, a mighty fireball lit up her palm, the orange flames lighting up her eyes and reflecting off the tears she refused to let fall.

Regina threw the fireball at the dresser. The ball hit the very center of the piece, where the shards and jewels rested, and from that fiery sphere, serpent like strands of fire were born and quickly enraptured the whole dresser, setting it completely ablaze in seconds. The raw magical heat destroying every last inch of it as well as the precious gems and shards of mirror alike.

This was to be her new symbol of freedom.

_Fire_

_Destruction_

Regina was finally free through it

As she watched the dresser burn down, along with the shattered mirror and the jewelry, Regina realized for the first time that being the Queen finally meant being in charge. She was finally in control of her life, now she could go wherever she liked, whenever she liked and do whatever she liked. No one was ever going to lock her up, and no one was going to use her ever again. No longer was she a prisoner, bound by the shackles of marriage, no more was she the beautiful trophy wife. The sweet and quiet Queen was gone, the woman the King used as pretty decoration he could show off was dead.

Now, _she_ was in charge; no one would ever question her authority or follow her steps. Regina was never going to sneak around, puff from one place to the other in order to miss the guards ever again. Now she would march to the stables in whichever garb she chose and take whatever horse she wanted, and she would ride until she ached. She would round all the borders of this pathetic kingdom and cross them all, for now, she was her own master and she would go wherever she wanted.

From then on, Regina vowed to mark the castle as her own, she was going to have sex in every single room without a single trace of worry – and if the guards happened to see or hear, she could not care less. She was going to scream her lungs out when she orgasmed, no longer afraid of getting caught, the thought of it happening now sent a thrilling chill up her spine as opposed to the dread filled feeling she would normally get.

And most importantly, now she would come out to the world as her true self, a powerful sorceress with drive and strength who will stop at nothing to get what she wanted.

This realization brought angry tears to Regina's eyes, and she let out a choked sob that had been waiting almost ten years to be freed as she clutched her middle. They were hot tears of joy, a venomous darkened beautiful joy she had learned with the years to bask in.

"DAMN!"

Regina was yet again startled and brought back to the here and now by a bodiless voice.

"No!" She cried, her voice broke at her cry. She turned to the full-length mirror that faced her bed, she was so tired, her voice came out almost pleading, "-please just leave me-"

But her words were cut short, giving way to a short gasp when her eyes met the image on the mirror.

Instead of the hovering head Regina was expecting, she was met with the sight of the dingy half lit room that she had just poofed herself from.

_The pin!_

She had completely forgotten about the pin and her enchanted mirror, which was linked to the small red four-end star.

Ever since that haunting figure had started invading her privacy, Regina searched for any and all spells to keep it at bay. She had finally found one, a banishing spell that would eliminate every attempt the genie made to use the mirror to spy on her.

Unfortunately, all magic has many rules, and the main rule for this banishing spell was that the castor could only use the spell once for it entwined blood magic. If it was not so, Regina would have spent as long as it took to enchant every single reflective surface in the castle. But unfortunately was not an option, so she had picked out her bedroom mirror, knowing that even when the genie didn't make his presence known, the creep probably watched her there anyway. The mere thought of his eyes on her in her private moments made her shiver in disgust.

Earlier, when the outlaw's lips had not let her concentrate on anything other than the contrast between soft skin and scratchy stubble and she finally gave into her desires to go see him again, she had created an excuse to go to him. Regina quickly enchanted a pin she had found scattered about her room and had used her powers to link it to her protected full-length mirror so it would display every image the pin faced.

The image currently being shown in the mirror was an old battered small table, which was tedious at most. The mood quickly changed when the addition of a foot – along with a leg – made their way into her field of vision.

Said foot kicked the table hard, making it crumble to the floor, the wood almost disintegrating.

The owner let out a loud "SHIT!", and her vision bounced a little and Regina had to chuckle at the idea of the outlaw hoping on one foot in pain over what he had just done.

When the movement ceased she heard him take in a big intake of breath – which made the image rise softly up and down once – followed by a sigh.

His voice was slightly raspy and much quieter when he spoke again, "Damn," he huffed out a breath and groaned, "Damn her, that _fucking_ tease."

A mischievous grin spread across Regina's face as the thief's words reached her ears. The warmth in the pit of her stomach he had ignited twice that day already started to bloom again.

Regina had to admit she was not that surprised, she had left him high and dry, hard as a rock in a small dingy room after having him bring her the most insane of orgasms

_Well, what was I supposed to do? Go down on my knees and suck his cock? _

Regina chuckled at the idea, it was completely out of the question. Regina did not get on her knees, _ever_. And if she ever did, she would have so much control over the situation that the act of kneeling would not be seen as demeaning at all. Although there was a part of her who quite fancied the idea of showing the thief that he was not the only one with an incredibly talented mouth, her ego and pride were far too strong to let her give into such desires.

So Regina chose to watch the image on her mirror, she could tell he was pacing with some fervor about the room, his huffs mixing in with the creaks of aged wood from the floorboards beneath his feet.

Suddenly he stormed towards the door and swung it open violently, racing down the stairs at a speed so fast the image in the mirror was blurred. He barely stopped to yank the front door opened so hard Regina was amazed it was still on its hinges, the momentum making the door close right behind him with a loud bang.

_Well, someone is a bit frustrated today. Wonder why-_

Regina's thoughts, however, turned from amused to confused when she saw the outlaw had made his way into the woods, his pace still quickened, his breathing still heavy and most probably with his cock still stiff inside his pants.

_What the hell is he doing? Where does he think he is going?_

Regina considered just poofing herself in front of him to exchange a few heated words about leaving the headquarters she had ordered him to stay in. But as she observed his tracking about the thin trees of the small wood, she could see he had not opted for the path that led a smart quick escape but rather his course took him to a small lake. She heard him exhale heavily whilst contemplating the not very extensive watery surface. He took a few leisurely steps towards the water and halted at very edge of the lake.

The moon was full that night and clouds were practically nonexistent about the sky, hence the view was quite well lightened.

And the illuminated view was truly, very beautiful, quiet and peaceful. The outlaw's feet were only a foot away from the lake's edge and Regina could see there was very little agitation in the water; it was almost mirror like in its stillness, which reflected almost perfectly the full moon above. The trees spread out far into the distance, and only the highest towers of her castle could be seen above the dense foliage.

The outlaw sighed, bringing Regina back to the situation in hand, "What the fuck am I getting into?"

Regina could see his arm come into her field of vision and assumed he was rubbing his eyes with his hands. A sudden agitation in the image followed by a couple of small rocks slumping into the surface of the lake showed Regina she had made the outlaw madder than she had expected.

After another huffed exhale, she heard his voice once more as he muttered to himself, "Well, _this_ isn't going to take care of itself-"

Regina was confused for a heartbeat, but when she heard the unfastening of what could only his belt and the rustling of fabric against his skin, she knew only too well what the outlaw was up to. The anticipation to somehow be witness to something of his so private, that she herself had caused, brought back the color red to her cheeks.

There was a soft moan and Regina imagined that rough uneducated thief taking himself in one of his calloused hands. He gave a couple more low grunts of pleasure before Regina could hear the actual deed, the slapping sound of his hand pumping his hard member up and down. Regina felt a surge of heat wash through her, ignited only by his raspy voice and the sounds his lower body action made.

Regina could not help but feel disappointed that the outlaw was still wearing the jacket; whilst she could hear his soft moans and groans, but was unable to see any of the proper action. Her mirror simply showed the unchanging image of the full moon that was not quite so captivating or interesting anymore.

Regina felt a strange urge to pleasure her sight sense with whatever was happening on the side of that lake. She wanted to _see_ that man touch himself right after she had worked him up rubbing her slick sex to his face.

The feeling was so intense Regina should have been slightly alarmed by it but when the thief moaned, "a_h – your majesty_", Regina threw caution to the wind, not caring if the sounds the man produced were making her weak at the knees. Desire burned as her title slipped through his lips a second time, Regina's stomach clenched, her gaze fixed on the unimportant scenery in her mirror.

"Fuck," his voice sounded again, this time a little louder, "I'm going to fuck that teasing royal so hard tomorrow,-" Regina had a devious smile on her lips, he groaned and continued, "-she won't be able to walk for days."

She automatically gasped at his words, a strong jolt of heat flaring between her legs as she felt the color red on her cheeks deepen, her grin turning into a smirk.

At this point, the thought of poofing herself there was starting to sound more and more appealing. Maybe she could hide amongst the trees and watch from afar, the thrill she might get caught only made her feel more inclined to execute her plan. She could also use a cloaking spell on herself and get near enough to smell his arousal, maybe even touch him if she was fast enough. Both ideas sounded like a recipe for disaster but at that moment Regina did not care-

She was pulled away from her musings when she heard his voice curse once more, this time in a different light, "Fucking hot piece of crap."

Regina blinked a few times confused. She could see a pair of slightly shaky hands rise from down below and the images on the mirror became shaky for a few seconds as the sound of ruffling fabric reigned instead of the delicious groans the thief had been fabricating.

The thief had unceremoniously rid himself of the jacket he had been wearing, tossing it on a rock nearby the shore, close to his feet, the pin that been had placed there faced up.

Regina's eyes widened and she drew a long, uneven breath, fisting both her hands on the fabric of her dress for a moment, then bringing one hand to move a few strands of hair hindering the view - which had just improved.

_Immensely_

Regina's perspective had changed from looking straight ahead to looking straight up, but the she was not complaining about the change. Quite the opposite in fact.

For now, Regina was granted with the view of the thief's rumpled trousers that had been lowered to his knees, his thick, muscly thighs and his mouth-watering erection. His hand had gone back to work on his hardness and Regina was quite delighted to note that his manhood was rather thick. Regina had reached a point in which she did not feel an ounce of guilt in fantasizing about what it would feel like inside her.

The thief returned to his previous task, grabbing his cock with one of his hands and sliding it up and down in a steady rhythm. He looked good enough to eat, pleasuring himself with his eyes shut and bottom lip trapped in between his teeth. The working hand suddenly rose so he could spit on it and Regina groaned at the sight of his now lubricated hand sliding with much more ease and speed about his manhood.

With his lips freed from his teeth, he managed to fabricate a couple of sentences that only enticed Regina's desire further.

"Ah, your majesty", "Just you wait your majesty" and "Fuck you, your majesty" made Regina's urge to slide her own hand down to her now wet folds and join the thief in pleasuring herself almost overwhelming.

However, _that_ would require her attention to be shared, and Regina did not want to flicker her gaze from the image of him coming apart with her title on his lips. She attentively watched as the outlaw bit his lower lip as he worked his impressive manhood up and down fiercely, adding a slight twist to the end of every stroke.

Regina's insides were on fire and she did not know when she had come to stand so close to the mirror, having grabbed both sides of its frame, and watched him grunt and moan with intense eyes. His breathing started to get more erratic, the sounds he made a little louder than it was safe to make, his moving hand sliding at a fast, fast pace as Regina bit her bottom lip so hard she drew a little blood.

She felt a pang of disappointment when he finally came, for her little show was over far too soon. But the sight of his seed sliding down his still working hand as he let out a half moan half sob that sounded a little bit too much like '_majesty'_ for anyone to deny it, took Regina's head to even wilder places than before.

He squeezed himself dry and it took him a few moments to catch his breath, sighing in relief blissfully unaware that he was being so intensely watched.

Regina was somewhat breathless herself with what had just transpired. She removed her deathly grip from the frame of her mirror and took one step back in order to calm herself. This had been quite the day, she had known she was going to be exhilarated for she was finally putting her plan to eliminate Snow into action but Regina had not been counting in thrills such as these.

When her heart rate started to even again and the outlaw seemed to have cooled down as well; he managed to flare up her senses for what seemed to be the thousandth time that day.

He reached for his trousers, grabbing both sides with his hands but instead of pulling them up, he lowered them down even further. She saw him shift for a few seconds and kick off both his boots as well as his pants. He then removed his time worn shirt and in a heartbeat, he was in his full naked glory right there in her mirror.

Regina's mouth fell open.

The man looked to be sculptured to perfection; from head to toe, he was _beautifully_ defined. Of course Regina should have guessed he was strong, since the man did live in the woods and had to fare all by himself ever since he had left his little gang, but all expectations of how he would look like underneath his rags did not live up to the image in front of her.

He was toned and burly, every muscle defined but not overly so, his now bare legs were thick and strong. His arms were strong and big, but never out of proportion, just the delicious right size. His biceps flexed when, after he lowered his torso slightly to wash his sticky hands with the water from the lake, he brought one up and ran it through his hair, splashing some droplets about his face.

Every movement that damned man made showcased another yet perfectly toned muscle on his delicious body and Regina felt the urge to lick every inch of his skin. He took a deep breath and Regina watched as the muscles in his stomach expanded and contracted with his every breath.

His breathing was easy by then, he closed his eyes and exhaled once more as Regina felt she was going to glue her nose to the surface of the mirror once more.

Well, at least one of them had the ability to breathe properly; and Regina would be damned if she ever confessed it aloud but he took _her_ breath away.

_I could get used to having this kind of imagery around._

Suddenly he was out of her field of vision again and Regina was able to hear the distinct sound of water splashing. He must have dived into the river for a midnight swim.

_How very primitive... How very arousing._

Regina fought the urge of ridding herself of all her clothing as well, poofing herself to his presence and joining him; she had never done it in _that_ particular lake so-

_No!_

That was absurd; she would be giving him all the wrong ideas of how this was going to work if she sought him out for the _third_ time that day stark naked and all ready to be fucked thoroughly.

Regina had dreamed for so long of how her life would be once she had gotten rid of the King, once she gained back her freedom and ruled the kingdom.

And although she had had several lovers right under her dear husband's nose, Regina now longed to have someone she could use anytime she wanted, without fear of making too much noise and getting caught, without wild plans of how to meet up. Someone she could trust to some extent in order to be able to reach a blissful unpreoccupied peak. Someone willing to pleasure her to exhaustion, who could bring her the release her body begged for over and over.

The last time a man she deemed worthy of her had taken her, had been almost a month ago and Regina's body ached for that friction and release _now_.

_That damn thief was not helping._

When her eyes had first met his earlier that day, Regina had felt such a strange pang on her chest it seemed as if someone was actually trying to pull her heart out. It was one of the strangest things she had ever experienced, it did awaken a slight apprehension in her but her curiosity, as always, won over. For she felt the strangest pull towards him, the odd need to be near him, to touch him, for something deep inside her told her that there was something different about this man she had to feel with the tips of her fingers.

So touch him she did, and every time her fingertips met his skin it sent an indescribable current through her body. Regina could only translate this buzz to one thing; chemistry, _raw, true_ chemistry like she had never experienced before.

Regina had been startled at her own words when she had heard herself offer her body as a reward. But the closer they got to one another, the more eager Regina became, and when his lips met her neck, something inside her saw him as the perfect candidate for the post she would have a trying time filling.

She had gone to him that night to prove herself wrong. To prove that it was only a momentary thing; it could never be as good as the promise had tasted, and she would not feel anything extraordinary.

_Bloody fool._

He had been both gentle and intense, and the sparks from his touch had nearly driven her insane. And the way he looked at her, as if she was a feast to be devoured and he could never have enough-

Regina was brought back to reality when the thief came into her line of vision inside her mirror. Her attentions were immediately shifted and focused on his striking body, now soaked wet from head to toe, dripping, his hair moist pulled back from his face. Regina could not help but imagine her tongue tracing the path of several droplets of water down the hard planes of his torso.

The thief turned, obscuring his glorious front from Regina's view – although her gaze was free to roam his broad shoulders, his muscled back and the perfect curvature of his arse, before he – much to Regina's dismay – started putting his clothes back on.

_Yes, he was going to do just fine._

More than '_fine'_ actually, this choice could not have been better. He was far too handsome for his own good but his features were not delicate, he had a strong jaw and a lined face. Plus a rough and worshiping touch her body seemed to melt into. He had brought her to a wondrous peak of pleasure, and it was undeniable that they had very powerful chemistry between them.

_Perfect_.

Apart from the fact that he was no commoner, no peasant, no farmer, he was Robin Hood and his reputation preceded him. Regina knew for a fact that he was the best archer in the land and having one of such right beside her was a wise decision. It just so happened that the thief could give her intensely satisfying orgasms, as well as protecting her back, and in Regina's eyes, this could only be seen as a win win situation.

When the outlaw was fully dressed, he turned around and pulled on the coat, giving Regina the dull view of the faraway house in the woods with only a single window lit, his small room, no doubt.

He headed back to the headquarters, then up the stairs with much more leisurely steps than those he had stormed down with. He opened the creaky door to his room and she could hear him sigh heavily.

He moved and sat on the bed and started to take off his boots. Once those were gone he shrugged off the coat and made it to throw it on the small table before realizing that he had smashed it in his previous frustration.

The thief held onto his coat, looking for some place to put it as his gaze flickered from the coat to his room and then to the coat again. His impossibly blue eyes widened as they fixed deadly on the pin and he tapped it with his finger, blurring the image on the mirror with every tap. He then brought the pin closer to his face his eyes seemed to grow an icy color or blue.

Then suddenly, the images blurred once more and went black, as Regina assumed he had thrown the jacket away from him. Though most of the sounds were muffled she could hear his distinctively accented voice yell; "_shit_!"

Regina smiled and conjured a small piece of parchment in the palm of her hand, her head tilted to the side as she thought up a suitable message to rile the thief up further. When she had one, the Queen watched as her chosen words appeared in cursive writing. She read the message through and gave a small laugh as the paper disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

…

Regina awoke the next day feeling utterly relaxed and it took her a few moments to remember just why. Recalling the extended acquaintance she had made with the man she hired to murder her stepdaughter brought a feeling of absolute satisfaction as well as great expectation to her.

_Today was the day that brat was going to pay for ruining Regina's life _

She felt her heart beating fast with expectation, already looking forward to hold Snow's meaty heart in her clutches, not enchanted at all, but dead and rotting. She pushed herself to the sitting position and swung her legs to the side so the bare soles of her feet touched the dark bear fur rug beside her bed, her toes nestling comfortably on the soft surface.

The smell of burned wood in the air brought Regina back to the here and then. She had almost forgotten she had set fire to her dresser the night before.

The piece of furniture was no more; the only thing remaining in its place was a large pile of ash, Regina's magical fire made sure to erase every last bit of glass, stone and wood. With a wave of her hand, the messy ashes dissipated into thin air and in its place, a beautiful cheery wood dresser appeared. Her _real_ jewelry, some of what she had brought from home and others she had taken for herself from the royal collection, as well as some useful magical objects appeared in its surface after a second wave of Regina's hand. There were three wooden mirror frames but no mirror in any of them; Regina planned on having this whole genie business dealt with as soon as she held Snow's heart in her grasp, but for now, she would content herself in living in a world without them.

An overwhelming shiver washed through Regina's entire body as she realized today was the day her vengeance would finally be complete and Daniel's death _finally_ avenged.

"Oh Daniel," she whispered, her eyes fluttering closed for a short moment as memories of calloused hands, blue eyes and a kind smile flashed before her.

_Then if I am to marry you, we must do this properly_, Regina could still hear Daniel's gentle voice caress her features. An unconscious tear slipped from her eye as she remembered how Daniel had kissed her that night, how he had held her and how delicious it had been to lay in a mountain of fresh hay cuddled up with him making plans for their future together.

Regina opened her eyes and was faced with her harsh reality, cold and alone, Daniel had died so she could play baby sitter to that bratty girl and whore to her disgusting father. Another tear slid down her cheek as she thought of how life could have been had Snow not betrayed her secret to her mother, she reached out for her engagement ring that she kept hidden in a box on her nightstand and put it on her finger.

Taking a deep breath in order to pull herself together, Regina's position did not allow her to be fragile, _ever_; she spun the ring on her finger and rose from the bed to start preparing for the day ahead.

After she had bathed, she pulled on the dark dress she had worn in Leopold's service to play the grieving widow for one last time. With her hair perfectly pinned above her head, Regina exited her chambers to the dining hall to share one last meal with the girl who had ruined her life.

Upon her arrival, Snow – who was already sat at the table – rose to greet her. She was wearing – to Regina's _utter_ surprise – white. A pretty, white frock; innocent ivory, Regina felt venom fill her heart as she thought of this girl who had always presented herself as that, _innocent_. But Regina knew deep inside that Snow's actions ten years ago had spurred from her spoiled and selfish disposition, she had wanted a pretty stepmother to play with, to dress and to pet, and had been resolute that Regina was to be it, no matter the consequences it might have.

But at the end, Regina had to hold back a laugh, for pretty soon that dress would gain a whole new set of colors. The thief would paint her death on that white, white canvas of a dress and Regina could not wait to see the whole scene unfold right before her eyes.

"Good morning, Regina," Snow said sadly.

"Good morning, my dear," Regina forced out for the last time. These were the last warm smiles she would have to fake for this girl. Regina could not resist but add; "no black today Snow?"

The girl looked up at her as Regina came to rest her hands on her stepdaughter's shoulders for a brief moment, holding back every urge to snap her neck, before she seated herself a few chairs away.

"My father wouldn't have wanted for me to wear such a color for so long." Snow looked down at her plate, her expression and posture similar to that of a tiny, tiny bird. She knew how the play the innocent card only too well, but Regina knew better. "I find white suits me best, and so I've decided to mourn in it."

_How sickening_

"Very well, my dear. You do what you feel is best." Regina said as she forced out a sincere smile.

"Thank you, Regina." Snow stood, brushing down the creases in her pretty, white dress as she added, "I have just finished breaking my fast, I'm sorry I did not wait for you; I wanted to visit father's grave early today."

"Oh, why is that?" Regina asked.

"I wanted to ride Chestnut before lunch, ever since father died I haven't-"

But Regina did not let the girl finish her statement; it was as if some force from high above was mocking her for having made this girl as in enamored by horses as Regina had once been.

"I understand. There is no trouble Snow." Regina cut her.

Before Snow could reply, Johanna, Snow's insufferable sidekick, entered the hall, shifting Snow's attention to her round frame. The woman was a good deal older than Regina, probably Snow's real mother's age. The short round servant made it her life's purpose to attend to Snow's every need.

"Shall we go, your highness?" she asked in her ridiculously cheerful and motherly way, looking at Snow with affection.

"Yes, Johanna." Snow headed towards other woman, and when the pair reached the doors Snow turned around and added; "I won't be long. I will be back in time to eat lunch with you."

_Wanna bet? _

"Oh, thank you dear. But don't rush yourself on my account, spend as much time by your father's grave as you desire." Regina's voice was sweet and calm, she wondered how on earth she had gotten so good at pretending she cared.

_You will be joining him soon enough_, she wanted to add, but instead just smiled one last fabricated show of teeth to the girl who had ripped her happiness from her.

The pair left and Regina managed to control herself for almost a full minute before she released a dark laugh that had been bubbling up inside her. It was freeing to simply let go of her voice and let it come out in an evil delicious laughter that filled the enormous dining hall. The servants could certainly pick up her outburst, but Regina did not care, this was _her_ castle now, and she would _finally_ do as she pleased.

She took a few calming breaths in order to be able to stomach a little food, but she only nibbled on some sweet bread and drank a little tea, the anticipation was eating her alive. Her stomach protested at the small amount of food she had given it but Regina disregarded it and quickly went back to her bedchambers to see her plan unfold.

After ensuring her door was locked – both by magic and with the customary lock - she turned to the full-length mirror seeing herself at the reflection. The perfect image of a grieving widow, all in black, modest make up as well as attire. All of it would change, Regina would not have to pretend to be something she was not anymore. Although she noted that the black did flatter her, it went perfectly well with the coloring of her heart and soul.

Dismissing her trivial thoughts, Regina waved her hand and watched as her reflection faded away and the sight of the green forest came into her view. She was surprised to see that the perspective she was given was not of one who had his feet on the ground but of one who was several feet above it. She could only imagine him high up on a tree, resting against the trunk, looking as if he had done this about a million times already, that smug smirk on his most kissable lips. She was yet to taste them and could not-

_What the hell was all that about?_

Regina had much more important things to worry about than the thief's kissing abilities, why on earth did she care anyway?

Brushing the thought of the man's mouth in hers aside as best as she could, Regina studied her front row seat to Snow's murder. She had a very clear view of the forest track, and from his even breaths and the stillness of the image in her mirror, it was likely the thief was as still as it was humanly possible.

Suddenly, there was a change, the sound of faint voices reached her senses, and both Regina and the outlaw's breathing quickened. The image rotated ever so slowly until Regina could see two small frames heading towards the man hidden from their eyes, one round and short whilst the other was taller and slim.

Regina could see that the outlaw was moving but his movements did not fabricate a single sound as he got to a better location still high above in his tree of choice. As the voices grew louder and Regina could discern the short fat servant from the 'innocent' princess more clearly, she saw his arms reach out for his bow.

The pair was walking hand in hand conversing, blissfully unaware of the events about to unfold.

They were closer now, close enough for Regina to be able to pick out some of their words. An arrow was placed soundlessly in the bow that occupied her line of vision. The outlaw pulled the string taut – it made a wee noise Regina was hardly able to register, her heart hammered on her chest - and waited for a moment that felt like hours.

Then he released.

Regina could have sworn she saw the journey the arrow made in slow motion, from the outlaw's bow, flying through the thick forest air until it landed in the elder lady's chest, hitting her precisely where her heart rested. The momentum of the arrow knocked her backwards and Johanna overbalanced.

"Johanna!" Snow screamed, falling to her knees beside her lifelong friend.

The outlaw watched, unmoving, as Snow's hands flailed, unsure as to where to put them in her blind panic as a deep red spread from the arrow embedded in her friend's chest. The girl was clearly crying and uttering incoherent words in between her sobs. She eventually got ahold of herself, managed to hug Joanna's body to her, and cradled her head on her, rocking backwards and forwards with choppy breaths.

"Johanna! Please don't close your eyes-" Snow sobbed, "Please don't leave me-" Snow then screamed as loudly as her condition allowed her to, "HELP, SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

But no help came for the man who was to be standing guard at that particular area remained unmoving atop of a tree. The young girl cried and cried as the old woman drew her last breaths, pleading with her to 'just stay alive', 'help is coming', 'you will be alright'.

Regina watched as Johanna placed a shaky hand on Snow's cheek in a sickening motherly gesture, the woman was still able to carry that ridiculous maternal glint in her eyes even with death hovering over her. Johanna's lips moved but Regina could not make out the words, nor read Johanna's lips, she was already too weak to enunciate properly.

Snow took that hand into her own and squeezed, letting hot tears trail down her cheeks and muttering something, which also went by unregistered by Regina's ears, back to the round bleeding lady.

The outlaw had still not moved.

When the older woman's eyes went dull and her hand slipped from Snow's grasp – who wailed out a cry of desperation, crying out her friend's name one last time - Regina knew that the first part of her problem was already solved.

As if on cue, the images on her mirror became blurry for a few seconds and then abnormally steady when the outlaw hopped impossibly fast from the tree, landing expertly right in front of the distressed girl.

Now Regina could see up-close what her little intervention had caused the brat, the white dress was already tinted with a little red from Johanna's wound as well as her eyes, which were blood shot with tears, her cheeks were also red but upon looking up at the man before her, Snow's complexion became even whiter than usual.

Snow let out a loud gasp as her gaze flickered from the thief's face to his bow, the girl was not _that_ stupid.

"Why have you done this?" she asked, her voice raised and uneven as tears still streamed down her cheeks. "She was a good and loyal friend. Never harmed anyone."

"If you were to live another day, girl, I would advise you that goodness and loyalty are customs utilized only by fools." The outlaw's heavily accented voice coldly warned her.

Snow's eyes widened at his words as she gasped clutching the dead woman's body closer to hers.

"You are going to kill me." She stated in a small voice, presumably trying to draw some pity out of the man.

_Foolish girl._

"Yes I am," he confirmed, drawing the freshly sharpened knife Regina had given him from his belt and taking cautious yet certain steps towards her.

Snow looked at him, eyes wide, terror spread over her _lovely_ features.

"_She_ sent you, didn't she?" Snow asked, and the way she uttered the word 'she' was as if Regina was some manner of venomous snake.

That statement made the man stop on his heels and regard her, his voice came out a moment later, "Who else?"

Snow was clearly very much desperate to stay alive so she tried to persuade him, trying to throw in a little of that innocent 'I have done nothing wrong' charm, "You don't have to do this,"

He gave a low chuckle and took another step towards her, "You're right, I don't have to-" another small step, his voice grew a little sinister, "-but I want to."

Terrified tears streamed from Snow's eyes and Regina made a mental note to give him something extra when the time for rewarding came, after all, she had not asked that he terrify Snow, but the sight of her like this pleased Regina immensely.

"What did she promise you?" Snow tried, she was clearly very desperate, "Whatever it was I'll give you double-" her face was searching for something, approval, maybe a small stir but the outlaw seemed to have given nothing away, "Triple?"

He only gave her a dark chuckle and replied, "I'm certain you would not be able to deliver half of what the Queen has offered, even if you tried your hardest-" he was closing in on her like an animal surrounding its prey. "Don't waste your breath trying to convince me, the Queen has a proposition, I believe no one is able to match-" Regina felt heat flow down below as she remembered of her inappropriate proposition. He took a deep breath, seemingly too calm for this situation and flipped the dagger in his hand adding, "-any last words?"

Just as he was about to pounce, the brat grabbed a rock that sat nearby her and blindly threw it in his direction, hitting him on the chest on the exact spot were the pin rested.

The images on the mirror disappeared, now Regina could only hear the outlaw's raged filled shout and the scuffling of dirt, no doubt the girl trying to escape. A loud groan that could only belong to the outlaw reached Regina's ears, and the sound of something being dragged along the floor and Snow's panic filled screams assured Regina the girl had not been able to escape, regardless of her pathetic attempt.

Regina was almost overwhelmed when she heard Snow's pleading screams of "no!" and "leave me alone!" and enjoyed the scene far too much to say that she could not even watch it unfold.

Another plea of "Please don't do this!" it was downright desperate, she had reached a tone of desperation Regina had never heard the likes of before coming from Snow's insufferable self. Her voice had turned airy and then modified again into a shrill mixture of crying and screaming.

"Shut up, you annoying, brat!" she heard the outlaw roar before there was a muffled scream.

_Then_ Regina heard it. The soft undeniable sound of the knife's blade digging into flesh, going deep, as the muffed cry continued. It was followed by a grunt fabricated by the outlaw's male voice and the highest pitched scream she had ever heard. The last thing she was able to hear was a heavy breath being drawn by the outlaw.

Then silence.

Having been damaged, the pin's magic must have worn off completely, the mirror was dark and silent. However, Regina smiled as she waved her hand over the mirror once more, looking at her own reflection.

She had done it.

She had won.


	5. Red Morning

Robin sighed somewhat contently as he re-entered his new 'room'.

His body was still quite wet from the dive, his clothes having assisted him only a little in drying off. His hair was still moist, and uncomfortably cold droplets still fell from the ends, mostly into his collar, he shook his head once inside so more dews of water would leave his dirty blonde mane.

He had to admit that it had been at least mildly satisfying; the very idea of going to sleep without taking care of the painful bulge on his pants was quite simply inconceivable. Although he would much rather that his coming resulted from another's hand as opposed to his own.

That _damned_ woman, Robin still did not know just how he felt about her, all he could account for was that the feeling was strong, her manner rather demanded intensity. She had looked at him in such a way that he had actually believed, for a split second, that she would give him a hand in his situation. But then she had simply left, leaving behind only smoke and his hard, unsucked cock.

Of course, he had taken no reservations in imagining the Queen deprived of any clothing whilst he pumped said hard cock. Images of her on her knees - yes that had been a wonderful position for her – whilst he fucked her mouth with vigour and absolutely no reserves, made his hand move faster and faster until her title was slipping out of his mouth before he could think of what he was uttering.

He was going to enjoy killing that pair the next day, of that Robin was absolutely sure. Not only because of the dark thrill murder gave him, but also because he was more than looking forward to claiming his reward for his services. Robin took another deep inhale of air and thought of how he had imagined the Queen, her picture perfect beauty absolutely deprived of cloth, on her hands and knees, whining and moaning as he took a fist full of black mane and rode her from behind and spanked her sorry arse for good measure, when he came to his own touch back in the small forest.

Oh yes, he was very much looking forward to _collecting_.

Robin sighed one last time before moving to sit on his bed – better get as much rest as possible, Gods knew he was going to need a great amount of energy the next day – in order to remove his boots. He shrugged that unbelievably hot and uncomfortable jacket off and made it to throw it on the small table in front of him but then noticed he had kicked it to pieces. He regarded the stupid piece of cloth for a beat and looked about the room in search of a place in order to discard of it, he looked back at the ugly grey jacket and Robin's eyes grew impossibly large when they caught a hint of red in it.

The _pin_!

Robin stared at the small, red, four ended star horrified. He could not actually believe he had forgotten about the wee artefact, since it had been the 'reason' behind the Queen's nightly visit in the first place. Still unsure if she was even on the other side, looking at him through her mirror, Robin tapped his finger to the pin a couple of times bringing it closer to his face. He felt it grow hot under his touch and quickly tossed it in reflex to the side, uttering "_Shit_!" in a raspy unused voice whilst making sure the pin was facing down.

_Fuck, fuck,_ Robin's head thumped as he brought both his palms up to his face and rested his elbows on his thighs.

_Had the Queen just been witness to what he had done by that blasted river?_

It was not a question of decency or modesty; Robin was not ashamed of his body, nor had he any reservations as to baring it. Not at all. Quite the opposite; he knew that his looks and charm combined had gotten his bed sheets warm for many a night.

There was actually, a very large part of him – one that involved a member which might get stiff for the third time that day just at the thought of this – that found the idea of the Queen watching him most enticing.

_Had she indeed seen it?_ He remembered faintly that he did discard of the jacket midway through his ministrations, he could not remember – why should he? – the angle the pin faced.

_Had she liked it? _It was quite clear that their attraction was mutual; otherwise, she would not have offered such a prize for the wee Princess' head or given him a preview of what that prize looked like not an hour ago.

_Had she slid her nimble hand down her body and touched herself whilst watching him? _The very idea of her out there in her cold castle, getting off to the image of _him_ brought an indescribable chill of pleasure about his body. Robin liked that idea a lot.

His dread and hesitation resulted from the words he remembered only too well uttering whilst he performed the act, words that had not been most flattering, especially when he had been referring to the Queen.

As if on cue, a small cloud of smoke appeared on his pillow, startling Robin from his musings. When the smoke dissipated, he could see a small piece of parchment resting against the soft surface of the pillow.

Robin was rather reluctant to even moving at all after the small manifestation of magic happened. But curiosity won over and he hesitantly reached out for the small paper as if it were on fire - there was a part of Robin that was pretty sure it _was_ going to set itself on fire as soon as he touched it.

But when his fingers came in contact with the paper it did not combust. Robin's throat was still quite constricted whilst he handled the paper carefully and brought it close enough so he could read it, but far enough so he could toss it as far as possible if it did something unexpected.

The message had been written in a beautiful cursive handwriting.

_Thank you for the show_

If there had been any lingering doubt if the Queen had been witness to Robin masturbating in the moonlight whilst he cried out her title and cursed her, it now dissipated into nothing. _Of course_ she had seen it.

Robin had to wonder what she had done, from the looks of the non-flaming message, she did seem to enjoy it, and Robin got a little smug over the fact that the view had been pleasing.

He stared at the piece of paper once more, re reading it twice again until he noticed there was something scribbled on the other side. The same handwriting, but there were only two words. Two words that had even more of an effect on him than the last message.

_Nice ass _

Robin's eyes widened slightly and a grin started playing on the corner of his lips. That woman was truly unique; any other woman in her position would have taken great offence at what he had uttered. But not her. No, she had found it amusing. She had enjoyed the show and complimented the assets.

_Bloody minx._

Robin closed his eyes and let a small laugh escape his lips as he stored the piece of parchment in his trousers' back pocket.

He went to bed that day feeling lighter than he had felt in a very long time. Which struck him as odd, since had been having heart palpitations throughout the day thanks to indecent thoughts and actions of the Queen, add in the fact that he was about to commit murder the very next day and it had all the makings of a full blown heart attack. Nevertheless, when sleep finally came to him, the final thing he saw were red lips, and he felt his own twitch into a smirk.

…

The next day, Robin arose with the sun, and for a few brief seconds he wondered if the whole business of the seductive Queen and his order to kill had been nothing but a dream. But as he became aware of the softness of where he lay and of the absence of the earthy smell of the woods, he knew it had all been true.

He was to assassinate two people. And bed the Queen as a reward.

_How had he come to this?_

He had once been a man of honor, someone who was willing to be an outlaw, with a fat prize on his head, for the sake of strangers in need. Had his old self ever encountered the likes of him now, they would have most probably fought to the death, and Robin cringed knowing only too well who would rise victorious. For there was no space for mercy or understanding in his blackened heart, light and color had been taken out of his life as a punishment for having wronged the one who mattered the most, the one he had never wanted to part with.

After having committed such a crime, Robin could understand how easy it was to lose oneself in the midst of darkness, since it was all that he deserved. He could see how easy it was to drown regret with whatever filled that gaping chasm where one's light should reside. Since lightness had left him, darkness was all he had been left with.

Robin had come too far to go back to the person he had once been, he could not find even a hint of reason to even try. He had done things in the past year, awful, monstrous actions, there was absolutely no coming back from them. He had taken lives from people whose names he did not even bother register for no good reason. He murdered to let out his anger and frustration, and for the mere selfish reason of feeling alive.

Before Marian had died, he had killed when there was no other way out and in order to ensure other's safety, Robin had committed murder. He had never felt good about it though, he had always secluded himself after the deed and prayed that at least his victim's soul would be redeemed.

Now, it gave him an addictive rush of pleasure but drained him of all emotions as well, making him feel hollow and numb, but alive all the same. It was quite a unique sensation; it felt like everything and nothing. Having someone's fate, someone's life in your bare hands was power.

Robin had not been able to prevent his wife and child from dying, innocent people from being ripped away from him. But those who were lesser and stupid enough to try and fight him- they had been fair game. It had been the perfect antidote for his sorrow. But the price for that medicine had been his heart, for it grew darker and darker with each passing day.

He could do it. He knew that with utmost certainty. He could cold bloodedly kill the princess and whoever was unfortunate enough to accompany her. He looked forward to feeling that rush of the kill. It had been a while since he had last taken a life, and now he knew the inevitable murder of two targets was looming, he was craving the hit that accompanied the knowledge that, because of him, there was one less person in the world – or in this case, two.

Only now, he had one other sensation that rivalled his blood lust, his craving for that mysterious rush when he took another's life. That being the shot of desire and hunger whenever his skin came in contact with the Queen's, Robin was most certain he had never felt anything like it before. What an inexplicable rush and such an intense pull, it could only be explained as raw perfect chemistry. Something that was very dangerous to take large dosages of but that Robin saw himself become extremely addicted to.

Robin came to the conclusion that this was to be a very good day.

He went downstairs to break his fast in high spirits, but to his utter annoyance, Billy and Dominic sat at the table in the common room. They had brought some bread from the nearby village they lived in as a welcome gift for him. And although Robin still felt the urge to simultaneously snap their necks, he could not help but feel a little grateful.

As he sat there eating - trying as hard as he could to mute the lively chitchat the pair of youngsters was producing - he pondered upon just how he was going to make his kill today, choosing to set aside all his feelings regarding his job – and the reward -, in order to keep his head cool so he could come up with the best possible plan.

The possibilities were endless, even with the Queen's demands. One swift one shot for the companion, and a painful and bloody mess of an end for the princess. All of which resulted in Robin having to carve up a non-beating heart from the princess' chest so it could embellish the Queen's collection. Robin had never held an actually heart on his grasp, he wondered how it would feel like and if the sensation of power was somehow heightened by it.

He would find that out in just a couple of hours.

After saying his much awaited goodbyes to his 'patrol brothers' - that's how the boys insisted on addressing each other, and unfortunately, he had now been included in yet another 'band of brothers' and it was the last thing he needed - Robin made his way to the East side of the small forest.

The smell of pinewood and earth invaded his senses and Robin found he rather missed sleeping outdoors, he had gotten used to it a long time ago and chuckled inwardly thinking of how last night had been the first night in years that he had slept on an actual bed. The forest suited him, there he found solace, no judgement and quietness and most importantly, he found solitude.

On his way, he picked up his bow and arrows, which he had concealed in the hollow of a tree after having taken care of his situation the prior evening. The memory of which – and the note – drawing a small smirk onto his lips.

He tracked the whole East road trying to create a mental map of the path the princess was to take. One could barely fit a carriage on that road, as it was surrounded by tall thin trees, the branches being so long that sometimes they crossed the road, turning themselves into wee traps for the distracted passer-by. The road came to an end at the King's final resting place.

The place spoke of grandeur and wealth, everything had been apparently made out of white marble, even the floor on the surroundings had been covered with the light coloured expensive stone. The grand mausoleum was the size of a large house, all that extravagant structure to house but one dead meaningless body that was to rot like every single corpse did.

This had been one of the main reasons why Robin had turned against nobility when he was younger. Why he had chosen to steal from them and give to the ones who really had need of it. Kings would raise taxes and rob good, honest people out of their hard-earned gold in order to build extravagant buildings such as this.

And what for? So it could house _one_ dead person, a single rotting body who had absolutely no use of it, when the gold used to build the whole damn thing could have been much better used in providing for the people who paid for it.

Robin took a deep breath and set his prejudice aside. He had not felt that much resentment towards the wrong doings of nobles in a really long time, hadn't bothered to think about how they wasted gold and now, of all times – when he was doing the bidding of one – was not the best time to relieve those feelings.

Clearing up his mind and taking another deep breath, Robin scanned his surroundings, to make sure there was no one else there paying their respects to the late monarch. He rounded the entire mausoleum and looked around, careful not to leave a trail that was easy to track whilst he inspected the carved stone and tress about.

As Robin made his way back, he analysed the trees and the twists and turns of the road so he could find the perfect vantage point that gave him a clear view of the path and kept him hidden from prying eyes. Unfortunately, the tress were pretty thin and incapable of withstanding his weight, it was thanks to a strike of luck that Robin was able to encounter an old, grand tree, with long thick branches filled with leaves to the brim.

He smirked when he reached the foot of the tree, took a deep breath and climbed it with ease and soundlessly. He came to rest on a concealed branch about 20 feet from the ground, he carefully stored his bow right beside him as he positioned himself on the sturdy bough so he could be as motionless as he could manage.

He could see the path clearly from above, and a fairly good portion of it, if he looked at the opposite direction, Robin was able to see the top to the marble mausoleum.

The bratty princess would not catch him by surprise; he would be able to see her come a good deal of time before she approached his tree. Robin took a deep breath, becoming aware of everything around him, the little noises the animals down below made, the humming of songbirds, the gush of the wind that hit his ears and made the leaves on the tree move.

Now all he had to do was wait, and wait he did, remaining almost immobile, only the rise and fall of his chest in motion.

It did not take long for him to start hearing high-pitched voices that could only belong to the set of women he was to dispose of. Robin rotated about ninety degrees ever so slowly so he could face where the sounds were coming from, he squinted and was able to make out two figures walking his way, hand in hand, in the distance. His heart started beating faster in his chest as the adrenaline and thrill of the whole affair took over.

Regardless of his blood pressure, Robin remained stationary; he was not one to let his feelings take a hold of his actions, not in this kind of situation, plus it was not as if he had not done this before. Even though it felt as if his heart was pounding venom through his veins, he was able to remain invisible.

They came closer and Robin was able to inspect the two females. One was short, old and fat, and was wearing servant's clothes, a chaperone perhaps. Robin wondered why the princess was not in the company of a knight, but then he reminded himself, he was the one who was supposed to protect the little royal.

_Tough luck, little princess_

But the girl was not little at all, she was, to Robin's surprise, all grown up. Because of the way the Queen had referred to her, he had imagined she would be but a girl, maybe pesky teenager at most, but his eyes met a young woman, not a day older than his annoying 'patrol brothers'. She wore a white frock that somehow felt all wrong for the occasion, not regal enough, nor mournful at all.

Both talked amicably, blessedly ignorant of the fate that awaited them.

Robin did not feel a drop of pity for the pair, his heart had shrivelled and darkened too much for him to care for the fate of people he did not even know. Even if their fate was terrible. Which Robin knew it was going to be; he was there to ensure that.

As the pair approached, Robin reached ever so slowly for his bow, never taking his trained eyes away from them. His fingers came into contact with the wood and he brought the bow to position gently, making sure not to snap a twig.

They were close now, Robin second naturedly grabbed an arrow from his quiver and placed it to the bow. He pulled the string masterfully, watching the pair with hunter's eyes as he aimed effortlessly to the pulsating organ in the old woman's chest and inhaled. Upon a fast exhale, the arrow flew from his grasp and hit the elder lady square in the chest where her heart lay.

The arrow hit the woman with such force that she lost her balance and fell back. And when the young woman realised that her friend was no longer strolling by her side but bleeding on the ground, she screamed.

"Johanna!"

The girl was at first in shock, staring at her companion with wide eyes and crying out words Robin could not and did not care to catch. As the red started to stain her friend's chest, the girl sank to her knees next to where the other woman had fallen, and sobbed. She looked utterly helpless as she fumbled with her hands, reaching out for the elder woman, unsure of what to do. She eventually took her by the shoulders and brought her head to rest on her legs as she cradled her dying friend.

"Johanna! Please don't close your eyes-" the girl managed in between sobs, "Please don't leave me-" she then screamed as loudly as she could, much to Robin's annoyance, "HELP, SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

Robin did not move. The Queen had instructed that the girl should watch her friend perish before he was to show himself. So Robin waited ever so patiently for the old bag to draw her last breath. The elder woman made unintelligible noises as the young one pleaded for her to 'just stay alive', in between assurances of; 'help will come soon, you will be fine'. He observed as the older lady shook her head knowing she was bound to die. She then brought her hand to her chest before cupping the girl's cheek, whispering words Robin could not make out from that distance.

The tears that rolled down the girl's face came to rest on the dying woman as she took the hand that cupped her cheek into her own, squeezing it. The elder woman's lips moved once again but Robin could just make out that she would never be able to finish her sentence. Life drained from her eyes and the hand that held onto the girl's hand turned limp, slipping from its grasp as the name _Johanna_ slid from the girl's lips one last time.

Robin jumped out of the branch and into the girl's view in a heartbeat.

_One down. One to go._

The girl looked up at him, utter fear shining in her big, expressive eyes, her cheeks had been crimson due to her crying but as she laid her eyes on Robin, they became dead pale.

She gasped when she saw the bow, and added two and two together.

"Why have you done this?" she asked him with a shaky voice, still clutching the dead woman's body. "She was a good and loyal friend. Never harmed anyone."

"If you were to live another day girl, I would advise you that goodness and loyalty are customs utilized only by fools." He uttered, his tone flat and void of anything.

As the girl realized she was to be re-joining the friend she held onto tightly quite soon, her eyes grew wide as the little colour that had been left in her face drained away.

"You are going to kill me." she stated in half a whisper twisting her features into a pitiful look.

Robin had to hold back a laugh at the girl's pitiful attempt to move him. She clearly did not know with whom she was dealing with.

"Yes, I am." Robin responded and pulled the dagger the Queen had insisted he used in this particular assassination from his belt.

The weapon was a fine thing, simple, not something that Robin would imagine belonged to a royal, but it was light and swift and it fit his grip perfectly. The Queen made it very clear in their first encounter that he was to use it to kill the princess and then return it to her. It had oncebelonged someone the princess had wronged, she had told him

Robin took expert steps towards the girl, who quite rightly looked as if she was going to shit herself in fear.

"_She_ sent you, didn't she?" the young woman seemed to gather enough courage to ask, the way she had articulated '_she'_ made it quite clear to whom she was referring to.

Her words made Robin stop on his heels to regard her for a beat and promptly reply, "Who else?"

The brat seemed to think that somehow she was going to be able to convince him not to kill her with her puppy, tear shot eyes and sweet words, "You don't have to do this." She spoke as if she was willing to give him a second chance, as if she was going to overlook everything he had done so far as long as he let her live.

The mere idea of it was pathetic and Robin chuckled at her naivetés whilst he took another step towards her, "You're right, I don't have to-" the realization that he could have said 'no' to the Queen struck him for a moment, but looking back at everything that she offered, she had made her offer irresistible, death and that maddening spark her naked body would ignite in his, "-but I want to."

His words had quite clearly terrified her, the tears streamed from her eyes and yet, she was still able to come up with words to yet again try to convince him to spare her.

"What did she promise you?" she asked and Robin almost let out an uneducated laugh at her question, her next inquiries only managed to make him want to burst out laughing more, "Whatever it was I'll give you double." The girl was seriously convinced she could somehow buy his loyalties, spoiled brat, Robin was pretty sure she was one of those sorts that got everything they desired and more.

"Triple?" she tried when he gave her no response and this time Robin could not hold back the low, dark chuckle.

"I'm certain you would not be able to deliver half of what the Queen has offered, even if you tried your hardest." Robin told her, choosing to start closing in on her so he could pounce when she least expected, he continued to speak, "Don't waste your breath trying to convince me, the Queen has a proposition, I believe no one is able to match." Robin felt his untamable cock stir at the thought of the proposition, took a deep breath in order to clear his head, and finished, flipping the sharp dagger about his fingers, "Any last words?"

Conversation was over and he had a job to finish, so taking measured steps, Robin approached the young woman with blade in hand and hard glint in his eyes. The Princess could do nothing but stare back at him, shock and terror clear on her face.

Robin halted and shifted his weight to his back leg, preparing to pounce at the girl. But that manoeuvre was all it took for the damned girl to grab a rock that had been resting near her and throw it in Robin's direction. The sodding thing hit him square in the chest, right where the pin rested, making its sharp end dig into Robin's skin. As he looked down to inspect the place he had been hit, the girl started to try to make her escape.

_Not today, little one._

Robin pounced so violently he managed to draw some blood curdling screams from the petite royal. She tried to protect herself using the dead body of her old friend as a shield, hiding behind the woman's frame in an attempt to buy herself some time.

_So much respect for the loyal and good friend._

Robin was now on his knees on the forest floor, grabbing the dead, heavy body that had been thrown his way, and shoving it to the side as if it weighed next to nothing. The girl started to hastily crawl on all fours away from him, but he was far too quick to let her escape. With a loud groan, Robin grabbed the girl by both her ankles and pulled her in his direction in one swift move, scrapping her snow-white dress against the earthy ground as she sobbed, begging for mercy.

She tried to kick him but his grasp was too strong for her to succeed in moving her lower limbs, the only things she actually did succeed in doing were riling the man currently trying to kill her, and making her ankles sore from the tightening grip.

As he dragged her along the dirt she screamed, thrashing and digging her nails into the ground, leaving long striations behind her.

He pulled her until her legs were between his, and he drew his knees together so he could trap her beneath him.

"Leave me alone!" he heard her scream, as he ensured she could not move her legs.

Ignoring her pathetic pleas, he turned her torso half way around on her left side so he could get a nice shot on her heart.

"_No_!" she screamed, still crying, "Please don't do this!"

She fumbled with her hands trying to hit him, but even at her full strength, her blows could do nothing. It would have had more of an effect if she had tickled him.

"Shut up, you annoying brat!" he bellowed as he clasped his free hand onto her mouth, muffling her screams, whilst her eyes grew impossibly large, probably already seeing the looming figure of death about herself.

He lifted his right hand, in which held the sharpened knife, and was ready to seal the deal. He's heart pounded fiercely inside his chest as thrill of having this small yet somehow powerful brat's life on his grasp. The venomous joy of killing ran freely about his veins as Robin looked straight into his target's terrified eyes and lunged, aiming for the heart wanting to impossibly rip it off her chest after he had hit her with one strike.

Robin cursed as the slippery shit not only bit his hand but also was somehow able to move at the very last second and his mortal strike did not hit its mark. The knife was plunged into her flesh alright, but since she had managed to move, it had landed on her shoulder and it did not go very deeply, having met the barrier of her shoulder bone.

The metallic scent of blood and the most horrid scream he had ever heard hit Robin's senses.

Red dripped from the princess' shoulder, blood staining the once pristine dress. He had removed his hand from her mouth thanks to the blasted bite she had given his palm, but Robin reached out again and grabbed the base of her throat tightly, reaching out with his other hand to grab the handle, and used his grip on her throat to pull the blade from her shoulder, making her screech once again.

He was infuriated, and the darkest piece of his soul took control. At the sight of her eyes widening, presumably to try to sway him from his task by playing the naïve, pretty princess, he scraped the iron on her cheek in order to defect her innocent beauty. Her hands immediately shot to her face as she let out a whiny cry of horror. The strike had not been very deep, but Robin made sure it was profound enough for it to scar.

Not that it was ever going to scar, since she was to die.

At that moment, Robin's vision and reason were fogged with rage.

It was a matter of seconds, but if Robin were asked to recollect this moment, he would be able to see the whole scene play out slowly in front of him. He saw her hand, bloody, with traces of glass and a fine powder over her palm. He saw her opening her palm near his face, and realising her plan to get away, he lunged at her with the knife once again.

That had been his mistake, Robin had gotten close enough and the princess blew the contents of her hand into his face.

Robin's connection with reality grew cloudy and distant. He could see the blade still travelling through the air, but his gaze was unfocused and he was unsure as to where the knife landed.

His last coherent thoughts being _damned poppies _and _the Queen is going to kill me!_

And then-

_Black_

…

Robin took a deep breath as he awoke from his haze, inhaling a good amount of dirt as he did so. He was sleeping on the forest floor again.

_Had it all really been a dream after all?_

He coughed as the powder invaded his body and his eyes shot open. He quickly realized that it was all too real. He was lying on the forest floor on his stomach, hand sticky with blood and still clutching the knife the Queen had given him, arm numb and back aching. The blade was dug into the floor and he could see a torn piece of white fabric trapped where the blade met the ground.

He looked up at the sky, the sun still rested west which made him believe he might have been out for an hour at most.

_Not too long then._

Robin brought his tongue to wet his lips and tasted the unique flavour of poppies, promptly spitting the contaminated saliva thereafter. Poppies would knock a normal person out for hours, but since he had a rather resistant body, it had only knocked him unconscious for an hour, even less.

As he dropped his gaze, he was able to see the body of the woman he had killed. Stout, round, timeworn and not royal at all. He quickly got to his knees and desperately looked around the road, but there was no sign of another body.

_The damned girl had ran away_

Robin felt fury work its way through his whole body as he withdrew the blade from the ground. He was livid; the venom that rushed about his veins was now painful and evil. How much of an idiot had he been to have been knocked out by a feather weight brat for an entire hour? He could not believe he had been knocked unconscious by something as trivial as poppies. Robin kicked himself inwardly thinking that he should have seen the manoeuvre coming.

But how could he possibly? For all he knew, royals like her did not even know that such a plant existed; the powder was usually utilized by witches and healers, it was not something one such as a princess would simply carry around-

Robin's gaze shifted to the dead woman lying beside him, her calloused hands showcasing years of hard work, her simple garb which told him she had very little and most importantly, the string about her neck that had probably been yanked at until it broke.

Realization hit him, the moments before and after his kill-shot playing in his mind. She had clutched her chest, she had taken the girl's hand in hers, and _she_ had murmured things his ears could not pick out.

_Her_

The old woman. Was she a chambermaid? A guardian? She had been gentle to the girl, far too gentle, almost a motherly touch, probably knew her since she was a babe. She had walked hand in hand with the girl. She had not left the girl's sight from the moment the king had been announced dead.

Robin did not know how but he was sure that she had seen this attack coming.

She must have handed the damned girl the poppies as she lay dying. Robin could hazily recall her hand clutching the princess' before it became limp. It was _her_ fault. It was her fault that he had lost his prey. It was her fault that he had lost his consciousness. It was her fault that he had lost his reward.

Robin let out an anger-filled scream, and before he could give any second thought, he pounced at the dead body, stabbing it like a mad man. The feel of the blade that already felt like a second skin to him entering the old woman's flesh did very little to help satiate his rage.

Red… _red_. Red was all he saw as he pierced the limp helpless body. Red that been a new addition to his sight as he came to rest his eyes on the Queen for the first time. The Queen who had offered herself as a reward for him to make this kill. The Queen who was going to have his head for letting her prey escape.

Thinking about how he was never going to feel the Queen's soft and electrifying skin on his ever again infuriated Robin even more. He plunged manically with the knife until he felt his arms stiffen due to the force with which he was stabbing her. Fatigue finally taking over.

He pulled the blade out for the very last time and for a moment examined what he had done. He had stabbed the lifeless body about her whole torso and now there was blood everywhere, his vision a pool of crimson.

The old woman's blood covered his hands, the fresh, sticky substance coating the dried layer left behind by the _stupid_, little princess.

Robin blinked several times, his vision becoming a haze of red as he managed to calm himself down so he was capable of coherent thought. At least coherent enough for him to strategize an escape plan, because the Queen would most certainly chop off his cock - instead of sucking it - because of this failure.

Taking a deep breath, Robin twisted the blade so he could clean it on the little that had been left unpainted with red from his shirt when something else hit him;

_He had injured the princess_.

He had dug the blade fiercely into her shoulder. And soon after she had blown powdered poppies into his face, and the last thing he remembered was trying to have another go at stabbing her. His aim had been clearly damaged by the dust, as the only thing that remained was a piece of her dress, and not her lifeless body.

But alas, she had left something far more precious than a strip of cotton behind-

_A trail_

As Robin meticulously examined the ground, he could see just where the girl had dragged herself from. The dirt on the ground was moved in the shape of her body, her hands, her heels and there was a clear blood trail to be followed.

Robin was up in milliseconds, forgetting all about the now mangled body lying at his feet and focusing on finding the girl. He _had_ to kill her. That was what he was supposed to do, that was what he had woken up for, and Robin also knew in the back of his mind that, if he did not succeed in his mission, there was a very slim chance of him making it out of his kingdom alive. His mission and sense of self-preservation, however horrid and selfish they might have been, blinded all his other sentiments.

The bloody trail would lead him to her, of that he was certain.

He would find her, he would take her down and make her suffer for this humiliation, the Queen, after all, had mentioned something about anguish in her instructions of how she wanted him to end the girl, and then, only when he was satisfied, he would be merciful and end her misery by killing her.

Robin was only granted a few steps in the trail's direction before numerous quick footsteps reached his ears. The traces of poppy dust still in his system hindered his ability to think quick enough to conceal himself before being seen, and the various shouts of "Oi!" and "Halt!" could be heard from the palace guards behind him.

So he ran.

He swiftly grabbed his bow and the knife, and he ran.

He had never run so quickly in his entire life, but Robin was far too aware of what the scene he found himself in looked like to try to ponder upon a reasonable explanation.

As he made his hasty way through the trees he could spot arrows being shot his way and he could not help but think how utterly humiliating it would be if he was actually hit by one; 'a skilled marksman being taken down by an arrow', the thought was ridiculous and the irony was not lost on him. Robin's legs ached, a mixture of the dizzying rage and the damned poppies.

When he reached the King's mausoleum, he knew he was done for; there were several knights standing around the building, looking perplexed and wary. Behind them, Robin could see a trace of blood on one of the white walls of the house. His trail, the damned girl's blood which would ultimately lead him to her. He needed to follow it, he wanted to follow it but he was quickly seized by the black clad soldiers who screamed various insults his way.

There were three men restraining his movements, but all of his attempts to free himself came to a halt when he felt a cold, sharp blade on his neck.

"You will pay for this, scum." The man who held the iron to his flesh spat.

Robin kept his mouth shut and his expression unreadable, even as the man's fist came in contact with his stomach with untamed force. Although the Queen had not given him instructions as to what to do in this situation, Robin figured it was best not to reveal to her soldiers that he had been acting on _her_ orders.

As the guards conversed with one another, Robin was able to discern that the man who held the blade to his neck had been captain of the King's guard. He, along with several other soldiers, had taken the western route of the forest to pay their respects to the King. When they came across the bloody marks on the mausoleum walls, they had become alarmed and had sent out a couple of men to inspect the east path, knowing that the Princess favoured that particular road.

Men that were now reporting back to the castle with what they had found; the body of one of the most beloved servants in such a state it brought tears to one young soldier's eyes.

_If this is how the royal guard reacts to violence_, Robin mused, _it is no wonder the King is dead_.

Robin was relieved to overhear they had not yet found the princess.

He found himself being dragged to the castle by royal knights for the second time in less than twenty-four hours. He wondered if they would try to question him, or if they would just throw him in a cell, or worst of all, torture him. And most importantly, he wondered to whom they were taking him.

Robin's silent ponderings were answered as the guards ushered him through a pair of familiar doors. They came into a halt near the door, a man on each side restraining his arms and the captain of the guard stood slightly ahead of them.

The sight that met his eyes was completely alien; it was the very same room he had been in before, with the very same chaise longue and the mirror frame that lacked a reflective surface, and yet everything was _dark_. Even the walls seemed to have taken a completely different colour, a darker and gloomier one.

And _she_ was there. Even with her back turned to him clad all in black looking at the crackling fire, he could sense her strong presence and just knew that the black garbed figure could only belong to her.

Her hair was pinned up, her hands were on her hips, her corseted back expanded with each deep breath she took.

"Your majesty-" the captain of the guard started with such a timid voice Robin had to wonder if it was the same man that had punched and threatened him numerous times on the way back.

The Queen did not reply, did not even move; she simply huffed for the man to continue.

"We found this man fleeing from the sight were the princess' maid's body was found." He could hear the Queen click her tongue as the captain took a shaky breath and continued; "He tried to escape but my men seized him by the King's tomb."

She huffed again.

"If I, if I may your majesty-" he stuttered, "It is clear he is responsible, he is drenched in blood and we apprehended a knife and a bow from him, which were clearly used in-"

"Enough!" the Queen finally bellowed and all men tensed, the captain's mouth snapped shut.

"Leave us." She ordered harshly, with her back still turned to the men.

"Your majesty, surely it is not wise of you to remain alone with such a man without proper-" the captain tried but stopped speaking altogether when her head snapped to the side and she looked ferociously over her shoulder, sending a poisonous glare that had all men unconsciously stepping back a pace.

"If you want to maintain that head attached to the rest of your body, _captain_, I would advise you to keep your opinions to yourself," her words were pure poison, "I said '_leave us'_!_ Now_!" she screamed and all the man, clearly unaccustomed to her behaving like that, gave a small jump in reaction.

Her glare eased as she raised an eyebrow and her voice lowered, "and leave behind his weapons; I know _just_ what to do with them."

The guards quickly let go of Robin's arms, and he saw the captain lay his bow, quiver and the knife on a small table near her chaise longue. After hastily bowing to the Queen, all three men hurriedly exited without another word. Probably thanking their lucky stars that they were not in the outlaw's skin.

Robin was fucked. He knew that much. She was probably going to kill him in the most painful and merciless way imaginable. Not only had he failed his mission, but he had let the princess escape.

When the doors of the room closed behind him with a loud bang, Robin swallowed as she turned around.

Gods she had murder in her eyes, murder and malice and hate and yet, she was _perfect_. Even with furious, mad eyes, the black paint outlining them slightly smeared, some sweat droplets resting on her forehead and lips still red but not all due to paint. A couple of locks of her long hair had escaped her up do and framed her livid face.

Robin could not resist but scan her body as her front came into view, if he was going to die, at least the last thing he saw was to his liking. Her chest was heaving, and Robin's eyes feasted on the way her full breasts almost spilled out of her corset, the black material tightly hugging her waist. Her hands gripped her sides with vigour.

She was not wearing a dress as he had previously thought but rather a cape that had a big opening starting just below her navel to reveal she was wearing, oh Gods above, _leather pants._ Tight, clingy, black leather pants and leather high-heeled boots.

If he had not been sure that her next move was murdering him, he would have been extremely aroused. Robin found it alarming when it hit him that his lower body was being rather responsive to the view, regardless of the circumstances. Or was it _because_ of the circumstances? Robin could not say. He was snapped out of his momentary haze by her wrathful words;

"Well, well... What do we have here?"


	6. Half a Reward

"Well, well. What _do_ we have here?"

He looked awful. Downright disgusting. He had blood stains smeared on most of the cloth of his donated attire, his hands were vibrant red and there were several droplets of blood mixed with dirt on his face. He looked out of breath and somewhat angry, those things infuriated Regina more than anything else.

"So, you were trying to run away, huh?" she said, her eyes widening dangerously.

"When your guards started making pathetic attempts to shoot me, I had very little choice, your majesty," he gave her. He was looking at her gravely, knowing that _that_ was not the main problem at hand.

She huffed and looked at him from head to toe. Though this time was quite different from the last; instead of admiring his physique and observing places she could sink her teeth into, Regina was merely searching for where he could have hidden the girl's heart.

Because Snow White _had_ to be dead. She had seen the thief's determination in killing the girl regardless of what the brat had offered. Regina had _heard_ everything, Snow's screaming, her body falling on the forest floor, the blade plunging into her flesh, there was no way she could be alive-

_Are you sure about that dearie?_ A small voice mocked at the back of her mind.

"My guards report to me they have found the maid's body." She said coldly, looking back in his eyes.

When the guards had banged loudly on her door not an hour prior, Regina felt excitement pooling in the pit of her stomach. She had been drinking from her third glass of celebratory wine, fully intending on going onto the fourth.

She had also changed into a more fitting pair of black, leather corset and pants, and knee-high boots. Garments she always had favored but could never wear openly as Queen; she had been told black was a color fitted for mourning and sadness and with a life such as hers, Regina should never feel those things. How ridiculed she had felt when the royal advisers had corrected her mannerisms, reprimanding her manners, stating they were not worthy of the King, and how _lucky_ she was that the benevolent man had taken a liking to her.

_They_ would be lucky if she didn't hunt them down for sport.

For now Regina was the Queen indeed, everything was finally under her rule and she would wear nothing at all if she damn pleased.

When she had swung the door open, trying her best not to look too animated, but feeling a small smile tug on the corner of her lips, she was met with the vision of two guards who looked exceedingly distressed. They had told her they came bearing 'awful news', to which she had tried to pretend to be concerned about; these were still her late husband's men after all.

She had led them into her chambers to give her a full report, sipping from her wine chalice to hide her smirk when they started describing what they had seen.

She had put her hand over her heart upon hearing that they had found Johanna dead, Regina's face twisting in an expression of false care. Her expression, however, became of real shock when the guards explained that not only had she an arrow struck through her heart, but she had also been stabbed almost 30 times in her torso.

She had asked them – faked, motherly concern flowing from her lips – of Snow's whereabouts.

But when the response that reached her ears was that the princess was nowhere to be found, and that she had _'thankfully escaped from the maniac that had killed her friend'_, Regina's mask fell. The crystal chalice she held broke between her fingers as her rage spread throughout her entire being, she could barely feel the small cuts and the wee pieces of glass that bruised her hand. Her jaw clenched, the vein in her forehead throbbed and she could not help herself releasing an enraged yell of "_What_?"

The guards had looked confused and alarmed and they inquired if she was feeling well. She did not even bother to respond, forgetting about all reason to pretend, she was sick and tired of playing a role and most importantly, Regina was _furious_. Both her hands shot up and lifted the bodies of both guards from the ground with her ire-filled magic. She tightened the grip on them as she strangled both.

After a little less than a minute of watching their struggling, both of them clawing at their necks to try and remove the invisible force constricting their airflow, she grew annoyed with their helpless grunts of '_have mercy'_ and _'please your majesty'_ and let them go. They scampered like rats out of her room and she bellowed after them; "Find me Snow White, dead or alive, and bring her to me… or you will rue the day you were born!"

Now, standing with the person she had procured to kill the insipid girl in front of her, Regina felt like she was ready to burst. But she had to hear the exact outcome from the outlaw's lips, and she would not act until she knew exactly what happened. She had heard the screeching and screaming. A deadly scream that could only have belonged to Snow. Regina cursed the girl for having damaged her pin.

When the thief did not reply to her questioning, something in Regina snapped, and almost immediately she knew something had gone wrong.

_If that brat was still alive…_

As she narrowed her eyes she stalked in his direction quickly and in a heartbeat her hand was gripping his neck _hard_, letting her nails sink deep. He hissed through clenched teeth, but Regina found she could not care less, even if she still felt the strange buzz on her hand where she touched him.

"Think very carefully about how you respond to this question, _thief_" she roared. Because of the high heels she was almost his height, which helped her hiss her next words into his ear without having to lean against his frame; "Did you kill her?"

She could hear his strangled response as she stared intently at the damage her nails were making to his neck. "No."

Regina's head felt like it had imploded and exploded at the same time upon hearing the outlaw's response. As rage took over her body, she met the outlaw's gaze, let out a livid scream, and squeezed his neck even harder, drawing blood with her nails. The outlaw let out a pained groan but did not budge or try to free himself from her grasp.

_Looks like that little girl still got the best out of you, again_, that small voice sang.

Regina saw _red_.

She could feel her very soul ignite as she used her magic to throw him back violently into her chaise longue. The impact was so strong that it broke when the outlaw landed on it. Rage took over, she magically lifted a vase that had housed mourning roses only one day ago, and threw it in the outlaw's direction. The object did not hit its target, but rather came to its crashing demise on the wall dangerously close to the thief's head by the fireplace.

Regina saw the fire and instantly summoned flames to her hands stalking towards the outlaw, madness dancing in her eyes. But when she was about five feet from her target, and she paused to look at him, expecting to see despair and fear fueled by the knowledge that he was going to die.

_Something was off._

Any other person would have been begging for forgiveness and groveling for mercy at this point, or at least wincing in pain. But the outlaw gave nothing away, his expression betrayed that he was in pain, but nothing whatsoever that resembled fear. Regina stood there in front of him, flame still burning on the palm of her hand, and they locked gazes. After a few moments of silence, he got up from the shambled remnants of her chaise, brushing pieces of wood and velvet from his person, before his blue eyes met hers. There was a little blood dripping from the injuries she had caused on his neck, and a wound on the left side of his forehead that had no doubt been caused on the account of her outburst with her vase.

And yet, even though his face displayed discomfort due to his wounds, he did not wince or flinch at the sight of his imminent demise that lay in her hands.

That man was ready to die. She could see it in his eyes. Regina could remember very clearly when she had the same emptiness inside her own eyes. After Daniel had been taken away from her, Regina had wanted to die. That night, after her mother had crushed her true love's heart right in front of her, she had tried with all her might to rip out her own so she could crush it and join Daniel. But she had failed, not yet possessing the ability to channel her rage in order to make magic, she had resigned herself to a life without love. Back then – a whole decade had passed since, but it felt like a lifetime ago– she had no darkness in her heart.

Regina had felt love and hope, but both had been drained away from her that night through her endless tears, making way for a void that she felt could never be filled. A void she would never let anybody even try to fill.

_She would never love again. _

And this thief in front of her probably had the same void she had, had nothing to live for, so why would he recoil from death? Maybe it had been has plan all along, to fail and have her kill him so he could rejoin his dead wife. Although this theory was quickly brought down by the simple fact that all she had witnessed through her mirror had shown he was more than eager to kill Snow.

Regardless of his agenda, Regina could clearly see he was not going to back down, he was not going to beg for mercy. He knew he had failed her, and was ready to face the consequences.

_Finally _

Finally she had come across someone who owned their mistakes regardless of the consequences, no whining, no excuses. Regina's heart started beating faster inside her chest as she regarded him, but now she could not possibly bring herself to get rid of him, he was _different_.

She was more than certain she wanted him to be hers, after the prior night's demonstration and a peek at what laid beneath those dirty clothes, Regina quite simply wanted _more_. She had far too many ideas of how to use him for her own enjoyment. She held his fate in her grasp. She would not kill him for failing, but he would belong to her.

The flame died.

But she could not forget that he had _failed_ her. He had yet to show her that she could trust him.

_She could trust no one _

There was only one way to ensure he would never turn on her and stab her in the back.

With her head still abuzz, Regina quickly stalked to where the outlaw stood. They were almost nose-to-nose when she came to a halt, her face still twisted with anger.

"I wanted a heart, outlaw!" she said, her voice rasp due to her screaming. She looked rashly at his vibrant blue eyes, and for a millisecond she saw another who had had the same coloring in his orbs, she gasped, and the moment was gone, the man standing before her not Daniel, just the thief. She recomposed herself rather quickly and diverted her gaze to his chest and continued; "And a heart I shall have."

And with that, Regina thrusted her hand deep inside the man's chest cavity, to which he gave a muffed cry, his eyes widening with shock. She had done this her fair share of times so she was able to locate his heart quickly, but what she did not expect was what she felt as soon as her palm came in contact with it; the same electric sensation she felt when they touched, but magnified a thousand times stronger.

Regina let out a cry as the outlaw groaned. He had probably felt it as well. Almost as a reflex, she hastily pulled her hand out, his heart clutched tightly in her palm.

A loud, relieved gasp escaped the outlaw's lips as he placed his hand where his heart had just been, he blinked a couple of times and Regina could see tears trailing down at the side of his face. His gaze then fixed on his beating heart, which Regina held in her hand.

The heart was dark. Very dark. Probably just as dark as her own – Regina could only guess since she had never seen her own heart. It had small, almost unnoticeable traces of vivid red but was mainly dominated by a dark tone of red. His gaze was glued to the heart, and so was hers, both hypnotized by its obscure color and drugged by the overpowering, buzzing sensation flowing through them.

Suddenly the sensation changed and Regina felt as if the heart was melting itself into her palm, not coming apart but rather mingling with her own skin, as if they were becoming one. She was alarmed, horrified and terrified as the feeling took over her, this had never happened before and the Dark One had most certainly never told her about this kind of side effect. Even though she could see that the heart remained perfectly intact in her hand, it organ _burned_ in order to blend with her own skin.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" she asked, slightly desperate, "Is this some sort of protective spell?"

"I don't know what's happening." He confessed, looking just as shaken as she felt.

In fear, Regina instinctively shoved the hand that gripped his heart back in his chest and quickly withdrew, leaving the heart back with its owner, ceasing the strange burning on her own palm. To her utter surprise, he let out a pained cry, as if he every breath he took as somewhat hurting.

"No" he said clutching his chest again. He hissed before saying, "Take it away."

"What?" Regina asked, beyond confused.

"I do not want it." He said rather breathlessly.

Regina's eyes widened at the words the man was saying. Was he actually asking her to take his heart away? He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing.

"I-" he started but grunted in pain again his hand was still on his chest and his eyes aimed somewhere about her middle, "I find it is only fitting that you take it,-" his eyes went back to hers when he finished, "-your majesty." his tone was dead serious.

"And why is that?" Regina inquired.

He looked her right in the eye – very few did and lived to tell the story - and responded; "Because I have failed my task and you demanded a heart. It is the least I can do, since she ran away under my watch."

"Hmm, you do have a point." Regina remarked, pensive. "Although I can clearly see this is not the true reason you are giving your heart so willingly to me."

"My motives are mine alone, your majesty. I do not owe you any manner of explanation." She could note that he had added a tone of despise in his words.

Maybe it was best to take his heart; he may be wild and very intriguing, but he was also unpredictable – Regina would have never guessed that he would actually offer his heart out. Plus if she was to be completely honest, she did not want to part with this man; there was_ something_ inexplicable that drew her to him. And even though the electric sensation burned and stung at times, it was as delicious as ambrosia and as addictive as any drug.

She would take his heart for her own, would take it even if it burned her palms when she held it. He would not run away, nor would he harm her, _that way_, she could be tranquil to have him anyway she wanted.

"Very well." She finally said and without a word of warning had her hand searching for his heart again. The zap came, as if on cue, the second her fingers touched it, but she fought against the sensation and pulled it out.

Regina quickly turned around and walked to the double doors that led to where she kept her collection. She could hear the outlaw's steps as he walked right behind her. With a swift movement of her free hand, the doors flung open to reveal the walls covered with a multitude of boxes, her collection now mingled with the hearts her mother had left behind. She had taken so many she could not tell them apart anymore.

But this heart, that felt as if it was burning a hole through her palm, this heart she did not want to lose track of. She took the box that was meant to house Snow's heart, resting on a table in the middle of the room, and quickly placed the heart inside, sighing in relief as the zapping ceased.

When she turned to face him, she saw he was staring at her intensely, close to the double doors, seemingly impassive to the fact that she now owned him.

"I'm not sure if you are aware, outlaw, but when you pull someone's heart out it becomes enchanted." She teased at his ignorance as he tilted his head clearly unaware of the facts she was presenting to him. "And when you hold said enchanted heart-" she opened the lid of the box and slid her finger through the heart using a little bit of force, knowing that he would feel little pain due to it. Her actions also made her feel a burn, but she was far too engrossed in her taunting to truly care, her gaze met his, ensuring that she held his complete attention, a small thrill running through her at the fear in his eyes as he awaited her next words, "-you control it."

"What are you going to do to me?" he asked, trepidation entering his voice.

Regina smirked.

"You are now mine," she stated as she closed the lid again and walked to one of the walls. As she held the box in front of the wall a compartment opened and she placed the box in it closing it immediately after. With her hand still pressed to it, she continued, "From now on you will do everything I say." She lifted her perfect eyebrow and completed; "Serve me in every way I see fit."

Regina got the reaction she was aiming for; the outlaw looked stunned and swallowed hard.

She could not help but grin. Regina's thoughts travelled back to the night before, and her grin turned into a smirk. She could see the outlaw clench his fists and the little movement his fingers made brought her back to when he had them inside her, bucking and twisting. She unconsciously bit her lower lip and the pain of her actions snapped her from her memories.

Her rage had diminished but was not truly gone. It was still being fueled by the ever present voices inside her head.

A mocking, impish voice in the very back of her head that still sang in a childish tone that '_the little princess had escaped the loveless Queen_'.

The towering heartless Queen in red still told her to simply incinerate the thief on the spot, _He's not worthy to even be in your presence after this failure_, _get the box back and crush his life into dust_.

And yet, she could not give into any of those powerful desires. Desires that had always driven her to do her worst to others before they could do their worst to her. She always found that it had been a great self-preservation system before, but now she could clearly see that the voices that told her to do all these things without thinking did not belong there, they were not her.

For another voice bloomed inside her now, one that told her to follow her own instincts, not the ones she had learned from her mother or the Dark one. What did her _own_ instincts tell her?

They told her that that man could be of more use to her than anybody else could, and that no one's touch would ever match his. At the mere thought of his touch, her desire grew. Images of him pumping his hard member with his hand, biting his lower lip, groaning her title until he came, invaded her mind.

This whole business was not over; she still had a large number of questions. But they would have to wait; more than ever, the percentage that simply wanted to have her wicked way with him, here and now, took over anything else.

Regina took a deep breath, rolled back her shoulders to straighten her posture and gave him her best attempt at a cold stare. She moved towards the door that he was standing by. He still looked slightly dumbfounded and Regina could not resist but brush lightly against him as she passed by.

_Hard_, she noted. _Good boy_.

She re-entered her recently darkened room and waved her hand at the mess she had caused to her chaise longue. Her purple magic did the rest, and the chaise and the vase she had destroyed were back in place as if nothing had ever happened. She faced the fireplace as she addressed him.

"Now tell me, what happened?" she asked.

She could hear the outlaw re-enter the room in firm steps. He cleared his throat before responding.

"She managed to duck my first advance and the blade embedded in her shoulder. As I pulled out the knife to strike her once more she blew powdered poppies on my face."

"Poppies? How the hell did she get a hold of that?" Regina said confused turning around to face him.

"My guess is that her servant gave it to her." The outlaw pointed out. There was a very odd tension hanging in the air and Regina knew the thief was carefully measuring his every word.

"That does sound possible-" Regina said, more to herself than anyone else. She was not looking at the outlaw anymore, but rather at the empty mirror frame behind him. There was a beat and her eyes snapped back at his, she narrowed them as she questioned sharply, her voice rising in tone, "Why on earth were there almost thirty stab wounds in that woman anyway? I thought I had made myself perfectly clear that I wanted her demise to be quick and swift."

"I-" he trailed, Regina was confused, "-when I stabbed her she was already dead."

"Then why on earth did you stab her?" Regina was beyond confused.

_Why on earth would he stab a dead body?_

"Because I got mad." He said simply, his accent more grave and poignant than ever before.

_Oh_

"I had just wakened to realize the princess had escaped, and it was quite obvious that if the woman hadn't given the princess that powder-" he cleared his throat, "Failure is not something I am accustomed with, I had to take out my rage on _something_," he explained simply.

Regina opened her mouth to reply but could not quite put into words how she felt about this. She knew only too well that there were several pieces of her mind reacting to what he had just said in very different ways. Some scorned at his lack of self-control, a small portion was taken aback by his openness to such violence, but the winning portion found it enticing and somewhat arousing.

"Right-" She finally said as she took another long breath, trying put herself together, "And then?"

"And then I noticed the girl had left a trail, I was about to follow it when your guards started pursuing me." He stated looking her in the eye, Regina noted that a good deal of warmth had left his gaze after she had ripped his heart out. "I was able to follow the trail to the King's mausoleum. There were bloody handprints on the tomb but that was as far as I was able to go. Your guards made sure of that."

"Oh?"

"I had started the job, your majesty. And I intended to finish it." He said, gravely. Regina almost believed the coldness of his tone until his gaze flicked to her deep cleavage for a moment and he wet his lips, _clearly_, his anger at not completing the job was not just his pride taking a knock.

His swift but noticeable actions took her, yet again, to the previous night when that same tongue had pleasured her to the edge of insanity. How he had fucked her with that tongue with so much fervor and passion, and how she felt she was about to lose her mind when he sucked the bundle between her thighs.

Regina was clearly shaken by her thoughts and took an unnecessarily deep breath, which made her breasts almost pop out of her corset. His eyes were immediately drawn back to her chest and she smirked at her small victory. She was getting rather tired of chit chatting with the outlaw anyway.

"Yes, a job half done-" She tilted her head to the side, looking at him thoroughly, eyes raking from his head to toe, before she slowly continued, "-which would reward you with half your prize."

She saw him bite his lower lip at her final words, his eyes roaming about her body.

_This ought to be fun._

"But how are we going to manage that?" she teased, bringing her finger to tap the side of her chin while walking slowly towards him.

As she approached him, she could see a smirk start to tug at the corners of his lips before he said with a flirty tone; "I'm sure your majesty will think of something befitting my services."

_Let us see if you still keep that smug smirk when I am through with you, outlaw._

When she was a mere foot away from him, she stopped and inspected him once more. She could see that he was hard and ready through the fabric of his trousers. But she could also see that he was covered in blood and dirt, and Regina drew a line at personal hygiene. Mingling sweat was acceptable, and at times quite welcome, but Regina could not tolerate _this_.

"I'm only going to say this once, outlaw." She started, her eyes piercing his, "I will expect you to be clean at all times; you no longer live in the woods, _nor bathe in the river_."

She said those last words with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, knowing he knew full well what she was talking about.

She regarded him for a heartbeat as he nodded. He opened his mouth to reply but she cut him off before he could utter a single word; "But since I'm a rather impatient woman and like to settle my business as quickly as I can, I will save you the trouble this one time."

The outlaw's expression was torn between confusion and eagerness as she waved her hand, a cloud of purple smoke engulfing his whole figure. When it dissipated, his clothes were clean, as well as his skin. She had even taken extra care to trim his beard slightly, but she could not bring herself to get rid of all his stubble; she remembered it had felt oddly arousing on her flesh.

She approached and prowled in a circle around him, inspecting the outlaw from head to toe. He stood frozen to the spot, probably rather shaken from having had magic used on him without warning.

_He would just have to get used to that._

Inspecting his body now brought memories of his naked image back into her mind, and Regina could not help but feel pleased that he had at least done half his job. If he had failed completely she would have been forced to either murder him or punish him harshly and throw him in a dingy cell.

_Such a waste._

_Half the job, half the prize,_ she thought mischievously with a smirk playing on her lips as she walked away from him to face the fireplace.

Although it was still day, barely past noon, the room was dark due to the remodeling she had done earlier that day. She found that darker tones pleased her more, and as she thought of ways to punish the outlaw, keep her promise and please herself, she diminished the intensity of the fire. The room became even darker, but she made sure it was still possible for the outlaw to see her.

Regina's anger started to dissipate as desire pooled into her. She was still furious that the girl had managed to run away, but one could not feed only out of hate. There were several other sins she could feed herself from, and lust was one she was already well acquainted with.

With a solid plan to torture the outlaw to pieces in mind, and a malicious smirk playing on her lips, Regina waved her hand to the air. A thin plume of bright purple smoke left her palm and went to her back where the laces of her corset lay. She heard the outlaw let out a small gasp in realization of what was unfolding before his eyes. She could feel the magic work its way ever so slowly on the tightly fastened laces. Regina started to relax under the touch of her own magic and turned her neck to the side. It gave a noisy click and she sighed in pleasure as the tension faded away.

She could feel his eyes burn into her back as the laces became undone. The smoke dissipated when all the laces were loose and hanging about her back. She reached out for the small pins of her cape that started a little bellow her belly button, on the spot where the waistband of her tight leather pants rested. She undid the pins that secured the corseted cape to her front with anticipation building up on the pit of her stomach. Once all the pins were undone she let the heavy cape slid gently down her shoulders, wanting to torture the outlaw as much as she could before her real fun began. The weighty item fell from her body and pooled at her feet.

The noise that reached Regina's ears as soon as the cape fell on the floor made her want to drop all her plans, forget all punishments and teasing, and just let him fuck her hard against the wall. It was a low, brutal, half-moan half-groan, something so erotic and yet completely unexpected. He had his reasons though; for now he was faced with the sight of her bare back, every inch of her olive skin now on display.

Regina had not been preoccupying herself with wearing many undergarments ever since Leopold's passing. She had not worn any to his funeral, nor to any of the ceremonies, and nor to the burial. She had felt absolutely rebellious and satisfied, the grieving widow on the outside but the rebel who had just been freed under her expensive and long skirts on the inside.

_Maybe I'll even make a habit out of this, _she thought, _it will facilitate the activities I have in mind for the thief._

With the resolute intention of driving him insane, Regina reached out for the pins that secured her elaborate up do. She removed them and her long, long dark hair came tumbling down her back as she carelessly tossed the pins on the floor. She waved her head so her hair would be completely freed, and then reached out and moved all the thick strands to her front, covering her breasts with her long raven locks and baring her back to his hungry stare.

She could hear the thief's breathing quicken, and he was making low noises as Regina felt his eyes almost burn holes into her back.

Regina turned her head ever so slightly, her gaze not quite reaching him as she seductively uttered; "Are you waiting for a written invitation, outlaw?"

It took a second for the thief's feet to catch up with his brain, but soon Regina counted his three, quick strides and the electrifying touch of his calloused hands encountering her ribcage from behind shot through her. He wasn't gentle, – Regina was expecting nothing of the sort from the likes of him – his calloused hands slid down her side, his grip fierce as if he was trying to map all of her at once. The friction between his callouses and her soft skin did ache, but Regina could do nothing but moan, for his touch was sizzling, delicious regardless of the discomfort. His hands came to rest on her leather-clad hips and he squeezed hard. He closed the little distance between them, grinding his member against her arse, a groan escaping his lips.

The buzzing feel of him against her dizzied Regina's mind for a moment and she let out a soft, half-moan, half-sob and the thief took that as invitation to explore everything Regina had to offer. As he continued grinding against her, his head went to her shoulder and he started to unceremoniously bite and suck at the tender flesh there.

His hands slid their way to her front and up, his palms tracing a fiery path on her torso until they came to rest on her breasts. She felt him moan against the skin of her shoulder as he grabbed and squeezed them with force, his fingers tangling with the dark hair that still covered them so she could feel a pull on the strands with every kneading motion. It should have been painful, it actually was, but Regina liked it; she had always liked this kind of pain, had never been a fan of tender and sweet.

Regina was trying very hard to hang onto to the little bit of self-control she possessed, but as his rough archer's fingers started pinching one of her nipples, the deed harsh and uncaring, it sent jolts of pleasure mixed with pain about her body, she felt as if control had slipped far, far away. She closed her eyes and basked in the intense sensation his touch was providing her. She could not help but grind her behind against his length, letting go at the sensation of being free, being satisfied, being whole-

The noise that left her mouth – an unfamiliar, out of control, strident mewl – snapped her out of her hazy state.

This was _not_ what she had planned; she would not let this common thief take control over her. No one would ever control her, not again.

Her eyes shot open and Regina quickly turned around to meet his gaze. She was grateful she was in heels still so they were almost the same height, although he was still that little bit taller than her even then.

The outlaw misread her actions completely, and with fiery eyes glued to her mouth leaned in to kiss her. Regina was quick and promptly put her finger on his lips, making him stop immediately. His sensual gaze turned into that of confusion.

She gave him a huffed smile, her finger leisurely tracing his lips from corner to corner. She looked deep inside his lust filled eyes, the dark blue she had seen the day before almost hypnotizing in its depth. She clicked her tongue and the hand that was lightly teasing his lips suddenly grabbed his face with force as she asked - in a husky voice that betrayed her incredibly aroused state - "Ah outlaw, aren't you forgetting something?"

She brought his face to a hair's breadth away from hers and continued; "You only get half your prize."

Regina sounded as turned on as the outlaw looked. She licked her bitten bottom lip for a moment, looking at his slightly parted ones.

The outlaw looked puzzled, and Regina could not help but let out a small throaty laugh as she released his face from her grip, pushing his head back.

She watched as the outlaw took that moment to drink her in. The look he had on his face at that moment told her he was very close to eating her alive, his eyes shining brighter with the light of the fireplace. His dangerous eyes travelled through her body, spotting a hint of her nipple underneath her sea of hair - which still covered all her breasts, to her belly and her still clothed legs. His eyes went back to her chest and there they lingered as his tongue came to wet his lips and a groan escaped his throat. He was snapped out of his trance by her next words.

"It's rather simple." He looked up at her and she was wearing her triumphant smirk, "You can look all you want, thief… But you can't touch."

His eyes widened and he raised a quizzical eyebrow. His mouth shot open but then closed again, before he raised a tentative hand and tried to reach out to pull her to him.

_Wrong move, thief._

She froze him on the spot, his body now completely stiff – and not just his lower parts.

"Another word of advice to you thief." She said poisonously, she felt the anger start bubbling inside her; "I never jest; what I say, I mean. Do not _ever _disobey me again, or it _will be_ the last thing you do."

She unfroze him, and the thief looked comically stunned. If Regina had not been so irate, she would have found his expression rather funny.

In truth, Regina was _tired_. So _damn_ tired of men not taking her orders seriously. None of them ever did; all her orders had to go through the approval of the King. The Dark one had always openly stated he found her ideas foolish. Even her own sweet father still saw her as a little girl.

"Forgive me your majesty, I did not mean to disrespect you."

His words took her by surprise. She could see they even took _him_ by surprise. She opened her mouth to retort but could not think of anything sharp and hurtful to say to such an apology. It was now her time to look puzzled, but it only lasted a moment before she made a conscious decision to ignore it and to finish what she had started and finally ease the throbbing ache on her wet, nether parts.

She huffed and shrugged one shoulder, appearing indifferent to his response.

Her eyes came to rest on that God forsaken jacket that still housed her – now ruined – pin. It was useless now. The jacket had her late husband's crest stamped right over the outlaw's chest, where his heart used to lie. But this soldier was _hers_, not her Leopold's. She snapped at it, removing the item swiftly from the outlaw's frame and holding it grasped in her hand.

She threw the offending piece of cloth in the fireplace without a second thought and watched it burn with satisfaction. The outlaw just stared, wide-eyed.

She looked back at the outlaw, who had a look of slight unease, but she could see she had not been able to scare away his erection; the outline was plain and clear to see through the fabric of his trousers.

"All better now." She said, a devious smile on her lips as her bright eyes took him in, clad in a simple white shirt and his trousers and boots.

_This is all yours Regina_, she thought to herself; _play with it as you please._

This was a real first for Regina; there was no fear of getting caught, no pathetic royal husband she had to keep fake faithfulness to, no more muffed moans of pleasure, no more sneaking around, no more hiding… she was _finally_ free.

Free to do what she pleased, when she pleased.

And what pleased Regina in this moment was the unnerving outlaw standing in front of her.

She approached him, the feel of excitement and curiosity of a child faced with an unknown toy taking up residence in the pit of her stomach. Her long hair still rested above her breasts as she stood right in front of him, a mere inch away. Every deep breath she took made her the tips of her nipples graze against his shirt. He was looking down at her mouth with eagerness, his bottom lip trapped in between his teeth, but Regina paid his attempts of restraint very little mind. She closed her eyes she breathed in his scent; a musky, wooden kind of smell, mixed with a hint of sweat, very manly and very fitting for a man living in the outdoors. Regina would never confess the smell did things to her, it was masculine and wild and it inspired outrageous ideas in her head.

She slowly opened her eyes and caught his fiery gaze staring back at her. Although his chest rose with his heavy breathing, the outlaw did not move otherwise, he had liberated his bottom lip, which hung in a wee, almost undectable pout. Regina felt like kissing those lips of his so much that it almost overwhelmed her when her gaze diverged for a moment to his mouth.

He looked as if he was ready to burst but waited for her to make her move.

Her hands left her hips and quickly travelled to his bruised neck, red marks from her clawed nails under her fingers. He winced at the contact, but her touch, although still firm, was not intent on hurting him anymore. Regina could not help but stare at his tempting mouth with hunger, she leaned so their lips almost met.

Then waited

The thief did not move, but Regina could feel his pulse rate accelerate under her palms and his breathing quickened, clear signs that he was greatly affected by her actions. She parted her lips slightly, letting out the softest of moans and dragged her palms downwards, slowly, her eyes accompanying them, feeling his every curve, his every toned muscle through the thin, white shirt.

As Regina's hands came to rest on the waistband of his trousers, she tugged at them, bringing his body to finally come into full contact with hers. Regina could feel his hard erection against her leather clad core and could not help but grind herself against him, to which the outlaw let out a low groan. Regina lowered her head to his neck and slowly traced her tongue from the base until his chin. He let out another shuddering moan and Regina looked up. She wanted to see this.

Without drawing her eyes from his, Regina's touch became a light caress and she used her fingers to trace his erection through his trousers. He let out a soft moan and closed his eyes, his features twisting as she drew ghost patterns along his hard length. His arms were resting at his sides and Regina could see that he was fisting both his hands as her examination continued. She could feel him impossibly hard against her fingers, throbbing with desire, and she traced the tip with a single finger, watching his face, fascinated at his controlled reactions.

Regina felt her mouth water with anticipation, without warning Regina palmed him with vigor, enjoying the choked moan the thief couldn't help but release. His eyes shot open and she maliciously smiled at him. Suddenly something came over Regina, an overwhelming need for friction as she became tired of teasing the outlaw.

Her elegant fingers found his belt and quickly unfastened it, her gaze not leaving his face as she noted his every reaction. He looked down at her hands as she unceremoniously pushed his trousers down to free his aching erection. She looked down but the shirt covered everything she wanted to see, so without second thought Regina hooked one finger onto the collar and dragged it down, using a little magic to tear it apart.

When the shirt was finally opened to reveal his body, Regina took a step back in order to take him in. He was everything she remembered from the images from her mirror the night before; all toned and muscled. But now Regina could also faintly see there were several scars decorating his torso, scars and scratches of all shapes and sizes, some new and bright red, others faint white and barely noticeable. But as her eyes came to rest on his erection they grew wide with desire and she subconsciously licked her lips. It did not disappoint, it was all she had seen the night before through her mirror and more, thick and ready and looking absolutely delicious.

With a smirk plastered on her features, an evil look in her eyes and impatience flowing through her veins, Regina grabbed the thief's torn shirt and pushed him onto her chaise. He landed awkwardly; his neck resting on the back of the chair, his hips far enough forward that he was reclined enough to be half sitting and half lying down. He was in a rather uncomfortable position since his movements had been restricted by his trousers, but he could not keep his intense gaze from watching the Queen as she prowled towards him.

Regina let out a small laugh as she let her instincts guide her. She promptly straddled the thief, each of her leather-clad legs coming to each side of his body. She leaned her body towards him predatorily, resting her hands next to his head to support her weight. Their lips were again a breath away from meeting, but she could not bring herself to kiss him. Instead, she looked deeply into his eyes and ground her sex against his in one slow and hard movement, letting out a moan of pleasure practically inside his parted mouth. His eyes were a pool of dark blue desire, and his brows knitted as he fisted the seat of the chaise in his hands, squeezing it tightly.

Regina continued her torturously slow and intense movements until the thief had his eyes closed and was moaning in both desperation and pleasure. Regina knew it took a great deal of self-restraint for him to not give into his instincts and just grab her. Her mouth was still hovering above his, the pull almost begging her to close the distance between them, but Regina refused to give into the need she did not even know she had before now.

She wanted to kiss him, _really _wanted to kiss him. But she could not; there was something dangerous waiting in his lips, she could feel it. She knew the moment their lips met something overwhelming would happen, something Regina was not ready for. She could feel in her gut that it was bound to be something truly unique, just like the electrifying sensation their touch gave her. But the small voice in her head told her it was weak to give into such things.

_Better stick with what you know dearie; rage, lust and hate will never take you by surprise, _she heard in the back of her mind.

Regina pulled her head back and used the back of the chaise to leaver herself up. She still straddled him and continued with her sensual movements, feeling her clit rub against the leather of her pants, the sting making her even wetter. But it was just not enough to quell the growing ache between her legs.

With a wave of her hand Regina's pants were gone, the only garment she still wore being her knee high, black boots. His eyes shot open as soon as he felt her bare core brushing against him. Regina gave a small moan and continued to grind herself against him, wetting his aching erection with her arousal. Her hands came to rest on his stomach, the feeling of energetic current between them more powerful than ever.

This was so different, like nothing she had ever experienced, the feel of his hard length brushing against her slick folds was almost driving her insane. And it appeared the outlaw was fairing quite similarly; he was biting his lower lip hard, his brows knitted together and his knuckles white from grabbing onto her chaise instead of the woman on top of him. He released his bottom lip with a strangled groan as he felt her hand reach down for his length.

Regina was so tired of waiting; she wanted more, she wanted _everything_.

And _that_ was what she going to get.

She pushed herself straight on his lap and took him in her hand, warm, hard and more than ready to pleasure her. She lifted her weight and placed her slick core on the tip of his burning erection. Their intense gazes locked, and all the lust and desire Regina felt was reflected back at her in the outlaw's blue eyes, his mouth hanging half open on a gasp. She lowered herself onto his cock as slowly as she could manage, basking in the unique and overwhelming feeling of being filled completely.

During her torturously slow descent, Regina did her best not to moan too eagerly. The outlaw did the same. Their eyes were locked with each other, Regina narrowed her eyes and the outlaw bit his lower lip, as if to try and show the other that they were not feeling as affected by this insane unison as they actually were. But when he was balls-deep inside her and Regina released her weight, fully resting against him, they both finally let their pleasure filled moans escape.

He had a rather thick cock, and so Regina took her time in adjusting to it, moving her hips in small circles and trying to impale him even deeper inside her. She clenched her walls around him, making the thief's eyes roll back. She started to move above him ever so slowly, her movements small in order for her to rub her clit as much as she could against his skin.

But her impatience grew and soon she was moving faster, yearning for more, and more and _more_. She rose and fell, riding him with vigor, her breasts bouncing with her movements. He met her every move with one of his own.

She arched her back, moving him in and out of herself, her hands coming to grab onto the hair at her scalp, pulling hard. That movement made the strands that covered her breasts move, exposing more of herself to the thief.

The man, who had been looking at her with fire blaze eyes, widened his eyes at the sight of her bare front.

Regina was riding him in earnest and heard him mutter, "By the Gods-" and turn his head slightly to the side, closing his eyes, something Regina found rather offensive.

"Ah, fuck" he whispered, his head tilting back to rest against the edge of the chaise.

Regina stopped moving, stilling with his length buried deep inside her. The many years of sneaking around and almost getting caught had given her an exceptional control over her body. A control she always felt slip through her fingers when she was with this man. And yet, here she was, fucking him into her chaise longue.

The thief whimpered at the great loss.

"I find it rather ungrateful of your part, thief." She was extremely breathless, but still held command in her tone; "I have, after all, been kind enough to let you watch."

His eyes opened slowly, looked back at her, a mixture of hate and desire mingling in his dark blue eyes as her words hit him.

"So you _shall_ watch."

Regina moved again, but more slowly than ever, she moved her hips, releasing soft moans at the feeling of him filling her up. With every thrust, she neared her torso in his direction, her gaze burning into his equally heated one. She once again leaned her weight on the chaise as their torsos met and Regina felt as if her skin was burning at the contact.

His hands went to grip the sides of the chaise again as she started to pick up the pace. He met her with every thrust, trying to pump himself as deeply as he could inside her. The pace was now frantic and both were muttering incoherently, a few gasps of _'fuck' _and _'yes' _mixing with several loud moans. Regina's lips were by the side of his head, her mouth hissing noises of utter pleasure into his ear as she occasionally bit and licked his earlobe. Suddenly, when the sensation was far too over whelming, she started to suck on his pulse point beneath his ear, drunk on the feeling of being thoroughly fucked.

_It had truly been too long_

Regina neared her high and she sucked harder, knowing she'd probably leave a mark but finding herself not caring in the slightest. She felt her walls clench around his erection and bit down on his already harmed neck. She came with a loud cry of pleasure, a _very_ loud cry of pleasure, right into the thief's ear.

Regina had never come like this; every wave of pleasure that washed through her made her feel as if she was flying. For a heartbeat she could not breathe, the entire world faded away until all that she felt was the pleasure running through her veins. Her head was light, and if she died at that moment, she would go down with a smile on her face, for that was the most incredible sensation she had ever felt.

Her grip on the chaise gave way, her legs becoming limp, her weight crushing the thief against the back which he was leaning on. Her head rested in the hollow of his neck and her breath washed across his skin. She felt light headed and amazing.

As soon as her body became loose above him, the thief reached out with one arm to wrap around her back in order to stop her from falling off his frame, as he forced himself to stop pumping into her.

She could feel him regard her intensively.

Regina could have just poofed herself from his presence and left him there to clean up his mess himself as she had the night before. Regina had actually planned in doing just so, once she had reached her peak, once she had found her own release to simply, disappear, to puff herself directly to her bed, where she'd lie, sated and spent. But now, when it came down to it, she could not bring herself to be so cruel.

_Going soft are we?_ The impish voice mocked

She ignored the voice, raised her head to meet his eyes and said, with a hoarse edge to her voice, "You may finish, thief"

He gave a relieved sigh and actually smiled at her, a full, sincere smile. Regina would later blame her high for smiling back at him, and with the same earnest energy. But at that moment she felt so light, so young, that she could not help her lips from twitching and smiling back at him.

With his length still buried inside her, he gave her side a slight questioning tug with the hand that steadied them both together, silently asking if he could touch her now. She gave a brief nod and rested her head yet again on the nape of his neck examining closely the deep red mark she had created during her orgasm, waiting for his to resume pumping himself inside her – not really finding the idea of continuing to be in contact with the man a while longer so bad after all.

Regina, however, did not expect what came next. With swift and quick moves – which showcased his ability to get out of this sort of 'twisted' situation that he had no doubt been in before – the thief was able to turn them both around. He put both his hands on her middle, and he hoisted Regina up, flipping her on her back on the soft surface of the chaise in one quick manoeuver. He stepped back, disconnected their sexes for a moment, in order to quickly kick off his boots and the remainders of his trousers. Regina was a little taken aback and her mouth was hanging slightly agape whilst she regarded him kick off the last bit of cloth that constrained movement in his nether limbs.

Shamelessly, the man quickly situated himself back in between Regina's legs, supporting all his weight on the hands that came to rest on each side of her head. Even though his actions made a surprised gasp escape her lips, Regina immediately wrapped her legs about his middle in order to bring his heat closer to her once more, - his short absence having made her feel uncommonly cold. Her high heels dug into the flesh at the small of his back but the pain did not discourage the man at the very least, he groaned, his lips finding her neck, as he entered her again.

Regina had not exactly permitted him to pull _such_ a stunt, – or any stunt for that manner - but at that moment, she did not have the strength in herself to protest. Nor did she really want to.

Regina could not help but moan when the friction resumed, her hands flying to his neck. Even after reaching her high, that man still made her yearn for more. He was thrusting with vigor and it quickly became rapid and desperate, and Regina felt herself whimper against her own will with the new sensation of having him touch her, of having him lead this completely selfish dance on top of her. Their torsos were touching, bumping with every thrust that she had unconsciously started to meet every time.

_This cannot be possible_, Regina thought desperately as she felt yet another high start to take over her. She felt tears prick at the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

_This is ridiculous_! The outraged, Evil Queen screamed inside her mind, _you're so overwhelmed you feel like crying?_

_But it feels too fucking marvelous to let go, _argued the part of her that was resolute in only wearing leather pants and fucking the outlaw in every single room of her late husband's castle.

This had never happened before. Not like this, not the very first time she was intimate with someone. She had just come undone, it was not possible that after a few moments her body was ready to burst with pleasure again because of a man that was literally a total stranger to her. There was no sentimental connection nor any body familiarity for Regina to have multiple orgasms due to this stranger fucking her oh so thoroughly. No one could be _that_ good. Could he?

And yet, it was all very true. The outlaw fucked her at a desperate pace, their hips met with fervor, his face buried into her neck, his breath burned her wherever it ghosted over her skin-

They came, _together_

With one final and particularly hard thrust, he buried his cock as deeply as he could inside her at the very precise moment she felt her walls tighten as they both came with strangled moans. Regina was once again flying and, if it was possible, this orgasm felt even better than the last. Regina ignored with all her strength the small, wee, little voice that told her the feeling had been heightened because they had come together; this was _not_ some sappy love story.

The thief took a deep breath and tried to steady himself so he would not crush her body. His elbows came to rest where his hands had lain and his mouth found its way to her neck.

Regina's legs gave way and loosened their strong hold on his middle, falling ungracefully to the sides, one of her high heeled feet touched the floor whilst her other leg laid against the back of the chaise.

They remained there for about a minute, his softening length still inside her, their breaths shaky and uneven.

With a small groan, the thief lifted his head to meet her eyes, his still dilated pupils met her hazy brown orbs. The thief hovered above her, supporting his weight on his arms, confusion adorning his features.

She stared back at him equally as puzzled. As she felt him try to put more distance between them she felt a pang of something she could not name and one of her hands shot involuntarily to hold his torn shirt to keep him close.

_Why am I so reluctant to let him go? _

He frowned, still wearing a look of confusion. His gaze diverted to her lips and she knew she could not hold back the burning urge to kiss him anymore.

But before she could think or do anything about these urges, his lips came crashing down on hers, and she prayed to whatever high above force that she would not lose her mind.

This whole affair was probably the worst idea Regina had ever come up with.

But also the very best.

Their lips met and the electric sensation she was starting to get used to, the one that tingled her torso and legs, came at full force on their lips. It burned her soul, and electrified her heart.

The kiss remained closed mouthed as her hands came to hold his cheeks in an almost tender gesture, far different from any way she had treated the thief before.

But Regina had absolutely no control over the situation, and far too soon he broke the kiss to stare at her, his tall frame on top of her as confusion and desire still pooled in his eyes. Regina could do nothing but stare back with the same look of bewilderment. That kiss had felt like a taste of ambrosia, but she knew this sweet sensation meant that she was being weak; she felt the need to kiss him again, and Regina Mills _did not_ need anything from anyone.

He drew back slightly and Regina took the opportunity to sit up and try to pull herself together. As she sat up rather abruptly, the thief drew a little farther away from her and sat on the chaise facing her. One of his legs in between hers, his bare flesh brushing against hers.

The contact sent that tingling sensation up her spine again.

Their eyes met, and Regina wanted to repeat everything they had just done.

She never wanted her skin to stop tingling.

But this was too much.

She straightened her spine, drawing a deep breath in order to keep her emotions at bay, and sat up straighter than ever. She untangled her legs from his, turned to the side and stood from the chaise in all her naked glory, nothing covering her flesh but her knee high boots.

She had her back to him, her voice still husky as she finally uttered; "I imagine our business is done here, thief. You may leave."

She heard him shift from her chaise and stand, he did not, however, take another step. Neither towards her, nor towards the door.

"Go back to that tree house in the woods you slept in last night," she continued, feeling proud that she had managed to put her feelings at bay and wear her royal mask.

"I think my 'patrol brothers' are not going to welcome me with opened arms given recent events, your majesty." She heard his deeply accented voice state, and she noted with a smirk it was rather rasp.

The thief had a point.

Regina had honestly forgotten about the fact that he had been brought to her as the most likely assassin of the maid.

A story unraveled itself inside Regina's head, a twisted and cruel tale that would not only get the King's army to fight for her, but would also rid the thief of any accusations.

With an evil grin on her face, Regina waved her hand and a long, black, silk robe met her skin and the high-heeled boots disappeared, leaving her aching feet bare on the stone floor. The fabric was cool against her flesh and, to the thief's pleasure, translucent. She turned around to meet his eyes, he was standing beside the chaise in nothing but a torn white shirt.

Regina noted there was still some cum on the tip of his cock and her grin turned malicious. She stalked in his direction and used her forefinger to collect his seed. Without breaking eye contact, Regina promptly sucked the digit, drawing a moan from herself in the process, tasting the salty substance with pleasure.

The thief's jaw dropped as he glued his gaze to the Queen's mouth, his brain short-circuiting.

Removing her finger from her mouth with a pop, Regina continued as if she hadn't just driven the thief to the brink of insanity, "That will be taken care of. Tomorrow you will assume your new post."

The man took a good few seconds to take in the new information and, still staring at her lips, replied; "And what post might that be, your majesty?"

Regina dared to approach her lips with his again, pausing when they breathed the same air and the thief's eyes closed.

"I'm not one to ruin the surprise" she chuckled, and suddenly her face became serious as she stepped back.

"Now leave!"

…

**Aren't they just adorable?**


	7. Turning Tables

**I would like to say that I'm so thrilled about all the response I got from the last chapter, thank you all so much for reviewing, favoriting and following. Every word I get back from you leaves a warm feeling in my heart, so thank you!**

**And also a very heartfelt thank you to my beta, Zoe, who is incredible and whom I love.**

…

Robin felt empty.

He still felt the blood pumping in his veins as if the pulsating organ still lay inside his chest.

But it didn't. And he felt nothing.

He did not feel a drop of guilt over what he had done. Not for yesterday, nor for a year ago, nor for ever.

The memory of Marian's last moments was still very much alive in his mind, it played over and over again, and still he felt nothing. There was a small trace of what the feeling had once been, but that had hardly tickled Robin. He felt no guilt, nor pain, nor love. That was to be the ultimate price for the numbness he had craved so much for.

He could not feel.

The moment he had been parted with his heart had been painful, one of the most excruciating agonies he had ever experienced. But after the sudden pain had disappeared, so had all the guilt and pain that had weighted his soul over the past year and even before. He felt relief, and yet he felt nothing.

Then he had gotten the opportunity to look at what he had done to his heart, something he had never thought possible. It looked smaller than he had imagined a heart to be and much darker he would have ever deemed possible. He knew he should have felt disgusted, that small, dark, red heart was the physical proof of what his twisted and tortured actions had done to him. And yet, he had been spellbound by the dark red glow. Still numb, still light, even though the organ had been separated from his body, the darkness it displayed still ran about his veins.

All of a sudden, he had felt it again, he somehow felt _her_, more specifically her hand. It surely sounded like the craziest thing in the world, but somehow he could feel his heart in her palm. He felt as if his very soul was melting away through it into her, mingling with her flesh, becoming one. She had most certainly felt something too, for she had screamed at him, hissed through clenched teeth, looking at his blackened heart before shoving it back into his chest.

_Everything came back._

Worse than ever before if it was even possible for Robin to feel worse. The guilt, the pain, the remorse, the ache, the desperation, _everything_. He had found it hard to breathe due to the overwhelming amount of sentiment his heart held. All of it hit him with full force and for a moment, he was not quite sure if he was going to be able to withstand it.

He did not want any of that, he wanted to feel numb, he wanted to feel nothing. All this was far too much for him to take, and now that he had had a taste of what it was like to truly feel no remorse, he did not want to go back into experiencing those haunting feelings ever again. They ached too much, hurt too much. So he had _begged_ her, had pleaded like a pathetic, helpless, little peasant for her to take it away.

_I do not want it._

She had looked startled, not quite understanding, and yet she took it, even though his heart had clearly harmed her, and as soon as his heart left his chest, once again he was washed over with the blissful sensation of nothingness.

Though far too quickly he felt the organ start to burn again, it was her touch that did that. He could not quite fathom if it was a harmful sensation or not; it was too strange for him to track back to ever feeling before. She thankfully deposited his heart inside a box quickly, and the blissful numbness took over once more.

Her words then hit deep.

"_I control it_", "You are _mine_", "-_everything_ I say", "-serve me in _every_ way"

Robin was sure if he had his heart still pounding in his chest, he would have been drowned by all sorts of emotions.

_Dread_, that this half-crazed woman had now complete control over him. _Anticipation_, for the way her tongue had caressed the words '_every way_'. _Desperation_, since his freedom – one of the few things he had left – was now gone. And _relief_, that he had managed somehow to find a place to settle down that did not in any way remind him of the life he used to lead.

Robin had recognized all those feelings, but he just could not bring himself to feel them fully. They were mere faint traces of emotion, just there, looming.

When their conversation took a more interesting tone, Robin could have sworn he could feel his heart pounding faster in his chest, making his blood pressure rise, whilst he stared holes through the Queen's clothing. Her mere manner enticed him, she was mysterious and gorgeous and apparently, rather open to new experiences. When she had let down that silly updo and taken her clothes off, the only thing covering her fair skin had been her raven hair, he had almost come in his pants. Her body was a wonder, his fingers had ached to trace their way along all that bare, exposed, flawless skin.

When she had spoken, Robin had hardly registered the words before he had his body against hers. It was almost unbelievable that the moment he had touched her, his senses had come back to life once again. The sensation was tantalizing, he felt lust and desire in an intensity he did not think he should feel given he was then heartless. He felt it, he felt her, the electricity between them more powerful than ever. Two seconds ago, even though he had been aroused, the feeling of numbness still ruled over his body. The moment he touched her he could feel, _everything_.

Well, not _everything_ exactly; he still could not feel regret over his past, nor anger towards the runaway princess, nor love to the people he had left behind.

But he could feel _her_. Everything about her, he could feel it, running through his veins. He could feel the desire he had for her burning up his very soul, coalescing with the hate he felt towards her for treating him like a pawn and leaving him to his own devices. He could even feel the sympathy that had bloomed momentarily in his heart for her the day when she had shown him her broken side, for just a moment.

And it burned his very soul to touch her, to be overrun by this amount of emotion. But touch her he did, as much as he could. Like a man dying of thirst he had groped her body, had felt every inch of exposed skin and had her moaning and sighing for him.

But it was all over too quickly.

_Evil_. This woman had to be the most evil human being he had ever encountered; she had promptly deprived him of the only thing that made him feel alive.

_Insane_. This woman had to be insane. Robin could see all the emotions playing out in her expressions; anger, lust, tiredness, eagerness, curiosity.

_What the hell had he gotten himself into?_

Then she was touching him again and all thought and reason became a blurry haze. He felt wanton, desire burning in the pit of his stomach. It travelled its torturous way down to the very tip of his cock, which the Queen caressed with her finger, taunting him.

_That bloody minx._

Through the light touch of her fingers, he could feel lust and anger mingling inside him, and he was not sure which one was stronger.

Then all of a sudden her hands were hasty and his pants were gone, his body being unceremoniously pushed to the chaise. It was then when he definitely knew which emotion had won out.

She was impatient and yet she taunted him still, grinding herself against him with force, releasing sounds of pleasure that were certain to make him go crazy. It took all the will power Robin owned to not just grab her and fuck her and his sanity away. But he knew this Queen was not to be toyed with, she had powerful magic and a strange grasp on her own self-control. And so Robin bit his lower lip, and calculated his every move, fighting against all his urges to touch her.

Her face mesmerized him; she looked glorious, her red lips inches away from his mouth as her hips ground down against him. Suddenly Robin felt a slick substance graze his cock and he looked down to discover nothing else covered the Queen's modesty as she continued to grind herself against him.

And when he was finally buried deep inside her… the feeling was in no way describable.

God, he had wanted to touch her, he had wanted to ravage her as soon as their sexes became one. Even without his heart, Robin could say with absolute certainty that he had never felt such overwhelming power with anybody else. It seemed as if they fit each other perfectly, which was so wrong and yet so very right at the same time.

Robin had been in a haze of emotions. His mind flitting through as he watched the Queen riding him, first at a torturously slow pace but then picking up, impatient. She was a glorious vision to behold, all that pale flesh exposed, clad only in her black boots, hair still resting on top of those delicious breasts, fiery eyes locked on his. From the way she looked at him it seemed as if she could read deep inside his very soul.

By some cruel trick of fate her breasts had somehow been exposed to him and he felt he would rather claw out his eyes than see them, knowing he could not touch them.

As soon as his vision was black due to him clamping his hands over his eyes, she stopped. And Robin felt his blood boil with emotions.

Hate.

Anger.

Frustration.

_Fucking wench._

He opened his eyes and she was there, looking at him, and telling him to look at her.

She resumed her frantic movements and his emotions changed again. She was most definitely driving him crazy. She had done something, she must have, some manner of silent spell to make him feel so bloody- He did not even have a word for what he was feeling.

Soon, when her walls started clenching around him, the urge to touch her became impossible to hold back, he held onto the chaise with a grip that might have snapped an ogre's neck. He was ever so thankful that she leaned her torso towards his, the amount of his skin touching hers increasing tenfold, the almost explosive electric flowing through his veins partially satiating a little his urge to reach out and touch her.

When she came, she let out a deafening scream right beside her ear. Her body became limp instantly and, although Robin was uncertain, his reflexes won over and he brought one of his arms to wrap around her, holding her to him.

He was still hard as rock inside her, desperately needing more to send him over the edge. He met her eyes in a silent request and was dumbfounded to find such a serene and content expression upon her face.

From what he had experienced and seen over the past day Robin was almost certain she would not let him come at all, rather just disentangle herself from him, and send him on his way to the river. But when her words hit him, _you may finish_, her voice hoarse and weak, Robin could not help but smile at her, a genuine smile. Something he could not remember doing for such a very long time. Robin figured he must have been hallucinating when he could have sworn she smiled back at him, the same gentle smile with a little light in her eyes.

With a silent gesture she had allowed him to touch her and Robin felt a primitive force come over him in that very second. He had to bask in this opportunity as much as he could. Acting on his primal impulses, he quickly turned the tables so it was her turn to have her back against the chaise. Then he fucked her, good and proper.

He pounded into her as if his life depended on it. And to his ego's delight, she moaned and cried out for more. His thrusts became more fierce by the second, the harder he fucked her the more she seemed to enjoy herself. And so did he; when his release came, he almost felt disappointed it was over.

He dreaded to think back to that moment, he had felt something strange, something he had not felt in a long time, complete. With the Queen gasping underneath him, her skin warm and flushed against his as he tried to calm his breathing from his high… he felt so very complete, like this was _right_, this was where he was meant to be. Which was ridiculous. He did not even have his heart on him, how could he possibly be complete just because this homicidal maniac and he had orgasmed with each other?

They had remained connected for a few minutes, their breaths trying to even out, his face having found its way to her neck as his whole body had relaxed. When he pulled back to regard her, he noticed he had left an angry red mark on her neck.

_Good._

But as his eyes met hers she looked hazed, confused and not quite herself. His expression mirrored hers as he started to pull away. To his utter surprise, she grabbed his shirt as if she was unwilling to let him go just yet. He could see her actions puzzled her, but Robin's gaze fell on her red lips, still untouched by his, and he was lost. He did not know if he would ever have the chance to do this again, and if this was his last day on earth he was not going down before tasting her lips.

He kissed her.

He kissed her on those full, red lips and had instantly been almost overcome by sensations. It pierced his soul and clawed at where his heart should have been.

Her hands came in contact with his cheeks and she kissed him back, willing and eager.

_This was meant to be_, a small voice whispered in his ear

_No, it was not, this was insanity._

He pulled back and instantly missed her mouth against his.

The Queen retracted herself from him and quickly put a safe distance between their naked bodies.

She was once again regal, harsh and bitchy, and Robin had known that whatever had transpired between them in that moment was gone. She sent him away so quickly Robin had barely had enough time to put his trousers back on.

After that far from warm farewell, he had made his way back to the Forest Head Quarters as the Queen had instructed. On his way, Robin found it odd that none of the knights had met his eye. Upon arriving at his destination, the boys had scattered more quickly than kitchen rats, and the old captain Mormant had met his eye with an almost startled expression, but grave and dense too. He nodded and left.

Robin had found himself once more looking out at the sunset from some dingy window in those headquarters. The place looked exactly the same, but he felt as if he had not been there in months. So much had happened in the course of this single day, he felt almost like a different man.

Only when he reached his room was he able to inspect the damage the Queen had left behind on him thanks to the small mirror that had been returned to the wall facing the bed. Deep marks of her sharp nails from the way she had grasped his neck and almost crushed his windpipe in her fit of rage. But he also had a very vivid memory of her hot tongue tracing the very same patch of skin when she had ridden his cock like there was no tomorrow.

Those nails of hers had cut deep, had even drawn blood from his neck. There was also another mark on his neck that Robin did not mind in the least. He grinned when he remembered how the Queen had sucked that exact spot fiercely just before she came, wonderfully wet walls tightening around him. She had left that red behind as if she was marking him.

Robin's smirk only widened when he remembered that he had also left his mark on her neck that day.

As he continued his inspection, the nasty gash on his forehead did worry him a bit; it was fairly bloody and if left alone it was likely it would get infected. He retrieved some clean cloth and flesh water from the deserted kitchen. He noted there was a loaf of bread hidden behind a jar and took it without even thinking. Only then he realized he was in fact starving, had not eaten all day, and given this day's activities, he should have passed out by now without food and water. The bread assisted a little in quieting the monster inside his growling stomach, and so, after eating everything he could find inside that kitchen, Robin returned to his room and cleaned up his wounds, bandaging them as best as he could manage on a full stomach.

Robin was disappointed – but not really surprised – that the Queen had not paid him a visit that evening. He would have been a sorry sight to see if she had, for he had collapsed into the cranky bed as soon as all the banding was done. He was utterly exhausted and found that quite funny, for he had had worse days with his Merry Men.

_But never with her_, were his very last thoughts to himself before he slept for what felt like days.

…

In the early morning, he was surprised to see yet another piece of paper appear upon his pillow as soon as he got up. She did not have to sign it for Robin to know who it was from. Her note was brief and to the point, he should present himself in the throne room at noon. As soon as he finished reading the note, the paper burst into flame. Why was that woman was so dramatic?

Robin found it best to simple wear his own clothes given that the garment he had been wearing the day before was soaked in blood and dirt, not to mention the Queen had torn the shirt with her flaming magical fingers.

Even though Robin did not wear the army's uniform, no man blocked his way in his entire journey towards the castle. As he got there, he became quite uncertain as to where the throne room actually was and took a leap of faith by following a group of guards that seemed to be heading that direction.

The throne room was large and imposing, grey stone covered the floors as well as the walls, but those were also ornamented with huge tapestries that succeeded in concealing most of the cold, dull, stone.

It was filled with men, a few dozen easily, they were all clad in some sort of military garb. Some wore that ridiculous helmet Robin was resolute he would not be caught dead wearing. Most of the young men wore the heavy dark armor, while the older ones sported only military jackets filled with pins and decorations, years of service repaid with adornments of tin.

To say Robin felt extremely out of place would be an understatement. While some of the younger men did not dare and meet his eye, several others eyed him suspiciously, and Robin was truly curious to know the reason behind such a stare. If they had recognized him, were those reprimanding looks thanks to his years as an outlaw, stealing from kings and Queens, or were they caused by Robin's behavior in the last year. That, he would unfortunately never know.

He was able to overhear that the Queen had all the captains and generals from her army assembled in her throne room to make some announcement of some kind. Of what exactly, not Robin nor anybody else seemed to know. _Although he might have an idea…_

He was able to spot the captain of the patrol, the one who had punched him like a coward whilst two other men had restrained him. He felt his blood boil and his hands clench in fists, he waited for the anger to come, but it never did; only a faint memory of the feeling had remained. Robin was glad. Last thing he needed was make a spectacle.

He stayed behind, close to the doors, leaning against the cold stonewall, the furthest spot from the throne he could find. This was easiest way out of the room were the Queen to stab him in the back and confess everything, or turn the story around to pin all blame on him. Given her mercurial behavior, he would not be surprised if she did something of the kind. He crossed his arms and waited, uncertainty and anticipation looming over him.

Suddenly, without any external help whatsoever, the heavy double doors beside him swung closed with a loud 'bang'. All the men in the room looked towards them, and inevitably his way, some even drawing their swords. Robin's eyes were on the doors for only a few seconds, for he knew only too well who was able to pull that kind of trick. He was one of the first ones to look at the throne altar where he was met with the image of the Queen he had been so very intimate with not 24 hours ago. He heard a voice loudly announce; 'the Queen!' All the others heads in the room snapped to look at her.

Robin came to the conclusion that with every passing day that woman managed to look more and more stunning. She had her long, black tresses tied high on her head, cascading over her right shoulder. Even though this was the least revealing dress he had seen her wear so far, she still looked exquisitely alluring and he still wanted to rip her clothes off and fuck her.

The dark, blue velvet clung to her upper body, and a tightly fastened corset adorned her torso. Unfortunately, there was no daring cleavage, nor was there any translucent fabric around her chest area. The garment was long sleeved and had a straight and rather disappointingly high cut that revealed nothing of the supple flesh Robin knew laid there. The velvet shaped her hips, and undoubtedly her ass – which was not in his field of vision, such a pity – perfectly and flowed down elegantly about her legs, legs he wanted to spread and-

_For fuck sakes, get a bloody grip!_

The mere sight of her was making him bloody half-hard already.

She stood there, all male eyes on her, drinking in her presence and Robin could not help but sense it was jealousy that tingled in his empty chest.

"My loyal subjects, my fearless knights. I have called upon you today bearing saddening news." she addressed the crowd in front of her in her regal manner "As you all are aware, your king, my dearest husband, was assassinated in his own bed by a man he deemed a friend. A man he had helped find freedom and had been repaid with death. The whereabouts of this man is currently unknown, but he is still being thoroughly searched for by your companions as we speak." Regina was poised and her expressive voice poignant; all attention was focused on her.

"I have, sadly, come across new information regarding the King's death." There was a slight curious murmur amongst the men, the murmur died down as soon as the Queen started speaking again. "And I say sadly because I never thought this devastating information could prove itself to be so true. In my concern for the well-being of my step daughter, who refused to be escorted by knights but only by her maid, I procured the services of a man to watch over her whilst she made her mournful way to her father's tomb every day."

_What?_ Robin thought, his brows knitting together. _What the hell was she talking about?_

_Was that even him? Could she manage to twist the information that much?_

The men were uneasy again but all it took was for the Queen to clear her throat for the room to be quiet again.

She continued, "And so, for the security of the child I deemed as my own, I procured only the best. I had none other than Robin Hood watching over her ever since the King's passing."

There was a general gasp amongst the men, Robin could feel the Queen's eyes burn into him, as she smirked his way. All eyes were on him now as he tried to not look uneasy, the wall he was leaning against assisted him in looking mildly disinterested. But Robin's mind burned with anger and uncertainty.

_What was she doing?_

_Was she going to give him away so all these knights could have a go in killing him?_

"Hood served his purpose right and silently watched over my step daughter these past few days." The attention was brought back to the Queen. "But nothing in my power could have ever protected her from her most deadly enemy…" she paused, everyone hanging on her every word in suspense "…herself."

Another gasp burst from the Queen's audience and Robin could see through her mask of lies that she was enjoying this far too much. He was afraid of where this was leading and hoping he would be able to exit the throne room with his head still in place.

"I had noticed yesterday that Snow's maid seemed at unease with something when she came to retrieve her for their morning walk." The Queen mocked her audience by pretending she cared and, surprisingly so, most of the men seemed to believe every word she said. "And as Hood reported to me later that day, the maid had found out about the princess' plans and urged her to not go through with them." She looked down at her shoes for a moment, a tear falling perfectly from her left eye, "a plan that resulted in my eminent demise."

_What an artist that woman was._

The men were murmuring again but in sympathetic tones. _How was she able to do this?_

"I learned yesterday that Snow was the one behind my husband's passing, and that _she_ had helped the murderous genie escape. And that _she_ was now planning my own passing, so she could take over the kingdom and rule as Queen." The Queen continued bringing her hand to rest on her heart, or where it should be, because from what Robin had gathered the woman clearly did do make much use of it, maybe it was also out there in that vault near his.

"And so, upon learning her secret had been discovered, my twisted step daughter murdered her maid, right there, in the middle of the forest. Hood had tried to help her but she had been stabbed too many times and sadly passed away in his arms."

_What?_

"And so, as a reward for services to protect the crown, I award Robin Hood the post of captain of my personal guard."

_WHAT?_ Robin's mind screamed, and that seemed to be the general consensus amongst the men too; all eyes went back to Robin with clear confusion and skepticism. He could see the Queen grin at him lightly for a second through the sea of faces before him.

"Things around here will change drastically from this day on; I cannot let rest the attempt on my life and the murder of the King now that I know who is responsible." She took a more firm tone now, letting only a bit of that masterfully faked, heartfelt expression linger. "I am fortunate enough to know in whom I can trust; you, my loyal knights. And the time has come to repay you for your loyalty, and also to give those who truly deserve, and take from those who don't."

_What was she on about?_

"And so, I issue from this day forward, that all people of noble birth be removed from my castle immediately. They have done nothing to deserve their luxurious accommodations, and to live under _my_ roof and use my expenses other than simply being born with that right."

She spat those last words and Robin could feel the men around him get excited with what was unfolding before their eyes. "Furthermore, I have assembled only my finest, most deserving men here today. You, along with your families, may take the lodgings that will now be vacated."

Great shouts of joy burst throughout the room, men screamed, "_Long live the Queen_!" and roared with happiness. The man cheered and embraced each other in absolute glee as the Queen simply stood there, that fake smile plastered on her lips. _They had bought it, she had won._

This woman was as cunning as a fox; she had been able to manipulate all those men who had been completely loyal to her husband to eat out of her hand with just a simple speech. She had also managed to clear his name with her army and give him a post he was not entirely sure he actually wanted.

'_Captain of her personal guard'?_

Robin did not know the first thing about being a pawn, a soldier, and nor did he have any desire to. This would prove to be very trying both for him and for her.

He continued leaning against the wall, now dumbfounded due to the events that were unfolding in front of him. He was thankful, however, that for once, soldiers were not gathering up to hunt him down. It made a refreshing change.

The Queen kept smiling as all her men boasted and cheered, her fingers entwined about her middle. She cleared her throat and silence invaded the room, the air had now a newfound, excited electricity.

"Now," she started clear as the day, giving orders, he regarded a middle aged captain with blonde hair and severe dark blue eyes, "Rickon, I want you to take your men and start a search of the east side of the kingdom for Snow White and her accomplice the Genie. I want every last grain of sand turned in those kingdoms by the sea." The man nodded and she turned to a dark skinned man in his thirties and continued, "Mulok you and your men will take the west side in search of her." There was a grave 'Yes, your majesty' reply from the man and the Queen turned her attentions to a copper haired tall man in his forties, he had deep brown eyes, "Fowler, I want you to take your men and search for her in the Southern areas, near the boundary with king George's lands." She finally turned to a shorter black haired man with a mean face and finished, "And Dulok, take yours and search the north, the highlands belonging to the clans, I am positively sure they will aid us in finding the girl and bringing justice to our King." She took a deep breath before continuing; "We will find Snow White… and make her pay the price of treason."

There was a great loud cheer from the Queen's audience.

"Williams, I will give you the task of ridding my castle of nobility. Your men are to remove my unwanted subjects." Her voice was certain, she arched one of her eyebrows and completed; "by whatever means necessary. I want them gone today."

Excitement crackled in the air but the room was silent, all waiting for the Queen's next words.

"You may leave." She waved a dismissive hand towards the crowd.

Abnormally, in unison, all the men bowed to the Queen. Robin was the only one left facing her, the awe in his features betraying his feelings.

The heads lifted in turns, all giving the Queen one last nod of the head before exiting the room. She returned most of the gazes, nodding about half of the time.

Soon enough the room was almost empty. One of the eldest men bowed before the Queen, speaking something to her in a hushed tone, to which she replied with a small smile. That smile, much to Robin's astonishment, reached her eyes and seemed genuine. Her eyes sparkled.

The man in question turned around, he was half-bald, the only hair remaining on his scalp was white, and had gentle eyes. He was a little heavy and had a distinctive way of walking. Not military but noble. Noble and yet kind. Not the type Robin would think the Queen would have residing in her castle, and yet the man walked without fear towards the double doors. He stopped just outside the room to regard the Queen once more, who, in her turn, gave him a nod and another one of those rare smiles. He reciprocated the gesture, took both rings that adorned the doors and gently closed them behind him.

Robin noticed now he had been left alone with the Queen. He still had not budged from his spot against the cold wall, watching her gaze reside on the double doors after the old man.

"That was some speech, huh?" Robin said in a conversational tone, his arms crossing in front of him, "I almost believed you myself, and I know the truth."

The Queen's gaze snapped his and she narrowed her eyes at his words. After a second, she widened them in her impressive impersonation of innocent, doe eyes and faked a smile that almost reached her eyes. This woman could apparently fake her way into anything, could easily convince anybody of anything she wanted to. But somehow he could see through the façade all the other men seemed to buy. He saw the real thing. Right now, for instance, he could see that despite her victory she was bitter, lonely and mean. Robin wondered if this new perception was due to his lack of having a heart beating in his chest.

"I do not know what you mean, Hood." she said simply.

"Your majesty, if I could ask you something."

She huffed at his request, "If you must."

"I would ask of you to not call me Hood. I much rather prefer your insulting nicknames than that," he said bitterly. "Hood has been gone for a while. None of that man remains."

She looked at him gravely for a moment, a frown adorning her forehead.

"Very well." she said finally "But I cannot go about calling the captain of my personal guard 'outlaw' in public."

She started making her way down the cold stone steps in his direction, her velvet-clad hips swayed, making it very difficult for Robin to concentrate on the conversation in hand. "I will have to content myself in insulting you when we are in more...private settings."

She got nearer and nearer, and yet Robin did not budge. "My birth name is Locksley, Robin of Locksley."

The Queen's footsteps halted at his words.

"A noble name?" He nodded once in confirmation. "Who would have known?"

She chuckled slightly as her eyebrows rose in amusement, resuming her journey towards him with a smug grin.

The closer she got, the angrier he became, as if she was the only person who was able to ignite any kind of feeling in his cold, hollow chest. Maybe the person who took away your heart was the only person able to make you feel. It seemed plausible; Robin could not fathom why she, of all people, made him feel so alive.

She was four, three, two feet away and she did not stop. When she was one foot away she placed her hands on the wall either side of his head and leaned her weight onto them. The Queen bent her arms, getting closer. She was almost his height, and Robin couldn't help but marvel at how high those heels she was wearing must have been. His blood was starting to boil hot, his eyes widened as her gaze took on an even more seductive edge.

Her mouth was mere inches from him when she uttered, "Robin of Locksley it is." It rolled off the tip of her tongue as she spoke his name slowly, looking him in the eye. Robin could not believe his name could sound so sensual on anyone's lips.

Those lips which were then curved in a malicious smile, her eyes communicating a desire his soul mirrored. Since she was getting forward once again, Robin took it as an opportunity to take a chance.

"So tell me your majesty," he said casually. He brought the hand on his free side up, brushing his fingers lightly and steadily against the Queens's private parts through her dress. She let out a small surprised gasp and her mouth remained slightly opened, her grip on the wall almost faltering. Now it was Robin's turn to smirk, the courageous hand retreating and finding its way to run through his hair, as his voice turned suggestive "What would my duties be?"

"Why do you ask?" her voice was low.

"Just wondered if-" his hand was suddenly back feeling the soft velvet of the Queen's dress. This time she did not gasp when his fingers found her most intimate part through the fabric and pressured, "-they would include anything similar to yesterday's-" she bucked her hips ever so gently against his hand and Robin felt victorious.

The hand fell to his side again as the Queen's gaze burned into his, a mix of anger, amusement and oh yes, sexual heat playing around her dark orbs.

"That will depend entirely on how you behave, _thief_,-" she said, her voice a little darker, their faces were still mere inches away. She leaned in further, "-there are just so many rooms in this enormous castle." She whispered in a tone that suggested they were going to do it in every single room that place had.

Their breaths mingled in the small space between them and Robin could taste her bittersweet lips already-

But the witch pulled back at the last second, pushing her weight from the wall and turning her back to him.

_Fucking tease._

Before Robin could think up of a proper come back she managed to make him speechless.

_Her back._

The back of the _fucking_ dress.

Or the _lack_ of a back to the fucking dress. It made up for the frustrating, depressingly chaste front, that was most certain; a deep 'V' cut was the biggest feature, exposing nearly all of her naked back. That same back he had pressed himself against the day before, the skin that he knew felt like silk against his rough-skinned fingers-

"You will accompany me on all my journeys, those will mostly be hunts." The Queen said suddenly, Robin took a few moments to register she was actually addressing his earlier question in a rather normal tone.

"You hunt, your majesty?" he inquire, honestly curious.

"Of course I do." she said turning to face him again "My favorite prey is young women who former bandits let get away."

She lifted one perfect eyebrow and Robin fisted his hands, pulling his weight from the stone wall for the first time. She huffed in his direction and continued; "You will assist me in planning those journeys. I assume you have enough knowledge of this land to manage that. And you will be on duty _any_ time I call you."

But those last words Robin were hardly registered for when she uttered them she threw her high ponytail from one shoulder to the other exposing to his sight a red mark on her neck. The mark he had made the day before. It stood out on her milky skin, red, calling him. His eyes were glued in the newly exposed skin and he unconsciously drew his lower lip into his mouth, biting down.

"I see you got yourself injured on your way back to the tree house yesterday," she continued, breaking the spell, she motioned to the bandage on his forehead and he had to bite down a laugh; she knew very well that she was the one who was responsible for that injury, and several others along his body.

"I cannot have the man who protects me be light headed because of his stupidity and lack of care, can I?"

She waved her hand and Robin felt the injured skin on his forehead come together, healing abnormally fast. Even though he was being healed it was not soothing, nor pleasant; it stung and burned and gave him a mighty headache. The bandage fell from his head and Robin brought one hand up to inspect her work. All he found was unharmed skin, as if the abrasion had never even been there.

He could see her smirk at his bewilderment as she approached him once more. She took quicker steps this time and immediately brought her hands to the top buttons of his shirt and undid them.

"Look at that," she said while inspecting the work her own nails had done on his neck, "were you attacked by some sort of animal? I gathered you'd be a match for any beast…" she brought one hand to his neck and traced his injuries, her touch light and enticing. "I will have to start to rethink your post." She continued with a malicious smirk. "Although I do think you rather enjoyed your time with that beast."

"Of that you can have no doubt your majesty." Robin retorted, daring to loosen up and keep up with her suddenly flirtatious tone. Her eyes left his injuries and met his, sparkling with amusement. "The beast was quite alluring."

She lifted an eyebrow and smirked, "I'm sure she was." She was again suddenly so close, her fingers still drew patterns on his neck. The bitter and painful sensation he had felt on his forehead spread through his neck where her fingers had touched.

_She could not be… Was she healing him there as well?_

She was.

When the contact ceased, she examined his neck and drawing a breath she told him; "I'll leave this red one."

Much to Robin's enjoyment, she brought her mouth close to his neck and licked the red mark she had created in her ecstasy. She withdrew her mouth from him and licked her dark red lips, "I like this one."

That did it for Robin; for the past two days this woman had taunted and teased him as if he was some sort of pet she could play around with.

_Well, no more_; Robin was no such thing.

Something inside Robin snapped and the tingling trail her tongue had left on his now-healed neck encouraged Robin to take control over this seemingly impossible situation.

He quickly took her by the wrist of the hand that had been tracing his flesh. The Queen only had time to gasp at his swift actions before he moved behind her, pressing her body against the cold wall and pinning her there with his own weight. Still gripping her wrist and taking a hold of the other with his free hand, he secured both against the wall to her side, his knuckles brushing against the hard wall. She quickly turned her face to the side, the side that carried his red mark, her eyes burning on him.

"What the hell do you think you…" she started but he cut her off when he pushed his hips forward so she could feel what she was doing to him. With his erection already painfully tight inside his trousers, he ground once against her velvet-clad arse. He groaned and could make out a small moan escape her lips despite her best efforts to keep a straight face. His lips brushed the shell of her ear as he spoke, his voice low, "I may work for you now, your majesty. But do not think for a single moment that you will get to play with fire and not get burned."

Her breathing grew heavier at his words, before he continued; "I'm not like your pathetic little knights who cower around your skirts."

Her mouth was hanging slightly open, somewhat shocked at his boldness. Robin knew that this was madness and it could most certainly get his sorry ass killed, but he could not take any more of her teasing without having her have a taste of her own medicine.

"I'm that one man who is more than willing to get under those skirts and make you beg to be fucked into oblivion." He groaned against her ear and the Queen shivered. There was a pause and she turned to look him dead in the eye.

"Promises, promises," she provoked with a smirk.

Robin then saw red. That color, so new and yet so fitting for when he was in the company of this maddening woman. She drove him insane with anger, and crazy with lust, both feelings so strong. They were only a trace when he was alone, but when he had his body pressed against hers they were almost too much to bear.

Robin groaned and put a small distance between his body and the Queen's, but still held her wrists firm against the wall. Her immediate reaction was to whimper but Robin could not care less about her reactions this time; his mission crystal was clear in his mind.

The thief took one good look at the exposed flesh of her back and smirked. He lowered his head to the base of the deep V shaped cut that adorned the back of the dress, it rested very nice and low, exposing a lot of skin. He then drew his tongue up her spine ever so slowly, basking in the taste of her milky and smooth flesh.

The Queen let out a shaky breath, followed by a small moan when he reached her neck. He made his way down again but this time kissing and biting a hot trail on her skin down the center of her spine. The Queen whimpered again and Robin grew more confident with each reaction.

When his hot mouth reached the end of the V he remained there, sucking and biting the tender flesh. The Queen gave out small moans, her hands far from resisting his grip, eyes shut and mouth still hanging slightly open.

Robin wanted nothing more than to tear that dress apart and fuck her from behind, his desire for her only growing stronger and stronger with each passing second. But this was his opportunity to make her wait for change, it was his turn to torture her, his turn to have her moan helplessly for his flesh against hers.

Robin had always liked living on the edge. The thrill that she might summon her magic at any moment and cut the encounter short – which would be most unwelcome – drove him to do everything his instincts told him to. There was no holding back, he would taste her, try her and tease her as much as he could.

He trailed his way back up with his tongue tracing the edges of the deep 'V'. He made his way to her shoulder blades, taking small bites that made the Queen hiss in between her clenched teeth. When he got back to her neck he bit down on the red mark he had created there the day prior.

"Oh look at that, your majesty" he hissed in her ear, his voice low, "You got yourself one of those too."

He bit down again and she hissed, her arse bucking in the direction of his hard member, "But I must say yours looks very faint. Allow me to assist you with that, your majesty."

With that he brought his mouth on her pulse point and sucked hard.

The Queen released a strangled moan, her eyes still shut as he sucked with all his might. He wanted to leave that mark well taken care of so she would not forget he was not to be toyed with. He was not some sort of servant she could order around. And if she wanted to play, he was not going down without a fight. As he sucked, he felt his mind whirl and his head go dizzy, the zapping sensation had been moderate until now. But now that he liberated as much anger and wanton towards her as he could manage, it became almost unbearable to withstand.

He drew away after a few minutes inspecting the much deeper color the mark now possessed. He smirked at his handy work and the Queen opened her eyes slowly, completely focused on his firm grip on her hands; the only contact that connected them. Her breathing had become heavy and her cheeks bore a distinct crimson color.

_Good girl._

"You..." her voice was low and dangerous, she had that hate mingled with desire look he felt mirrored in his soul.

"Yes, your majesty; me." he said, interrupting her.

He suddenly loosened his grip on both her hands, but before she could react to her newfound freedom, one of his strong hands found her shoulder and turned her around to face him. The Queen tried to gasp but it was muffled by his mouth as it came crashing down hers.

Her mouth felt so soft against his rash one, his kiss was not slow or tentative like it had been the day before, rather demanding and hungry. She responded with the same eagerness, her mouth attacking his own, much like the fictional beast she had just teased him with. Her hands were quick to find their way to his arse and pull him flat against her body, she squeezed, digging her nails deep into the fabric of his pants.

Their tongues met and the connection burned. It singed Robin's tongue, set alight to his desire and ignited his lust. It made its devastating way down his spine and hardened even more his length. His own hands held on tight to the back of the Queen's head and neck, pulling her impossibly close to him.

It did not seem enough, though. The contact, though maddeningly intense, was not enough. He needed to touch more skin, needed to have his mouth trace every inch of her, to be buried balls deep inside her to feel satisfied.

Their tongues danced quickly, making a quick game of their kiss, both testing each other, trying to take as much from the other as they could, not a drop of compassion in the mix. The kiss was desperate; they were clinging so much to each other it seemed as if this was to be their very last moment.

The Queen broke the desperate kiss only to immediately start to nibble his lower lip, nipping the flesh with the very tip of her teeth, making him feel a stinging bite that drew a hiss. She used her tongue to trace his bottom lip, her eyes were open, as she looked down at his lips hungrily.

She drew slightly back and Robin opened his eyes to see her mouth all smeared with red, matching the color on her cheeks. Her breathing was erratic and her eyes were filled with lust, dark and demanding.

Her hands left his backside only to find their way to the lapels of his shirt, pulling him to her for another hot kiss. This one, however, was more languid and Robin found they were both more able to enjoy each other. Taking it more slowly than before, their tongues brushed with one another, tasting… testing… savoring.

The hand that held onto the back of the Queen's head started making its way south. It travelled down until it reached her hip and squeezed hard, their mouths still attached to each other. Her hands travelled up and grabbed the back of his neck, forcefully bringing him even closer to her.

The Queen tilted her head in such a way that Robin was able to explore her lush, delicious mouth more deeply. The crackling energy they both shared was intense and Robin could feel the Queen shiver under his touch.

The hand that rested on the nape of her neck trailed down and cupped one of her breasts through the fabric of her dress. Robin smirked against her mouth when he felt the material was the only thing covering her chest, but he still cursed the damned garment for having no neckline whatsoever. He had to content himself with feeling her through the fabric, unless he undressed her completely, which did not sound like a bad idea at all-

Suddenly a high-pitched scream invaded his senses and they immediately drew away from each other. Robin's eyes followed the same path as the Queen's as she glanced at the closed doors. They heard hurried footsteps, several. There were several people running in the corridor just outside the throne room, and it seemed as if they were heading towards it.

Robin regarded the Queen who had remained static with her back resting against the wall, her eyes glued to the door and her expression unreadable.

As if on cue, the doors burst open and several regally clad people ran inside and headed towards the throne altar. Some of the Queen's guards quickly followed them. They all stopped on their tracks, however, when they realized their ruler was not there.

Robin counted seven nobles; they had probably been chosen to represent their disgusting class. Five men and two women, they all had to be older than himself, he could guess that the youngest in the group, a round fellow with an uneven beard, had to be in his mid-forties at least. They were all clad from head to toe in luxury. All adorned with expensive jewelry and fine fabrics, the vision of their arrogant faces combined with their riches made Robin sick to his stomach. These were the kind of people he hated the most.

Robin could see the ghost of a smirk in the Queen's swollen lips as she lifted her back from the wall and stepped to stand in front of the open doors.

"What seems to be the problem here?" the Queen asked in her usual loud and commanding tone. She stood there, arms crossed and, to Robin's utter shock, lips perfectly painted with crimson.

He brought one hand to his lips and was astounded to find that the red that had been there only a moment ago was all gone. The Queen, apparently, did think of everything.

His attention was brought back to the issue in place by one of the noble people that had barged into the room. A woman, who had to be past her fifties, with a snobby attitude, her nose was so high up and the expression on her face so twisted with arrogance she looked as if she had horse shit under her nose.

"Your majesty!" The woman was breathless, probably due to the exercise of running that she was clearly not used to. "Your knights gave gone completely insane!" her voice rose up higher into a screech, "They have the audacity to say that they are acting on your commands." She let out a disgusted laugh, "That you yourself just commanded them to remove all of us from the castle!"

There was silence. Silence in which every single person in the room regarded the Queen intensively. The guards had an excited glee in their eyes, confusion and pride played in the noble people's features and as for Robin; he just wondered if he was going to be left high and dry once more.

The Queen's face was the spitting image of indifference as she regarded the woman.

"They were." She said, her voice low, her eyes going wide as a small mad glimmer played there.

"I beg your pardon your majesty?" the woman asked, affronted.

"They were following my orders." The Queen's voice was dangerous and her expression quite evil. She seemed to be enjoying herself a lot more than one should when banishing guests from their castle.

Robin had to wonder why she had such an attitude towards the kind of people that she had seemingly grown up alongside. Despite having also been of noble birth, Robin had lived his life despising the kind himself. He suppressed the small voice in the back of his head that told him that he and the Queen were not so different after all.

The noble woman gasped, her eyes going wide. The Queen smiled a wicked smile.

"You see, you are of no use to me my dears," she said simply "You never really earned anything you were given, you just _took_." She started walking towards the now terrified looking woman, "And quite frankly, I find court rather a bore, you lot make it even worse" the woman seemed to shrink as the Queen advanced, "Well, that is not going to happen anymore, not under my roof."

She halted about five feet from the woman tilting her head to the side, "So I would advise you to leave now before I _make you_."

One of the men of the group, the youngest, round one, dared to step forward.

"_You_?" he spat "_You_ will make us?"

_Wrong move, mate._

Robin could see the Queen's satisfied expression twist into rage and almost felt sorry for the poor man.

"Yes," she said, her head high and her eyes bore a hint of that madness Robin had experienced firsthand the day before.

One of her hands rose and the man was lifted from the ground by her invisible magic. The people around him backed off gasping and his body flew in the air until he roughly collided face-first with the wall Robin had been trapping the Queen against only moments ago.

Under everybody's dumbfounded gaze, the Queen walked to where the man still hovered, feet off the ground by centimeters. When she reached him, she turned him around with a flick of her hand. The impact had done quite a nasty job on the man's arrogant face, his nose was definitely broken, brood streamed from his nostrils and as he opened his mouth to say something, all that left his parted lips was even more blood. He looked at the Queen with fear and dread, barely able to make out a word as she came closer and grabbed his throat.

She held him there for a while, choking the man as his blood ran down his nose and mouth staining the Queen's pale and soft hands. She did not seem to mind the blood, neither did Robin, the coopery smell actually enticed him to have a go at killing a noble person himself. The other spectators, mainly the nobility, for the guards stood like statues watching, seemed in distress, the woman with the horse face was nearly sobbing.

"Yes." she broke the silence, looking him dead in the eye and setting free an evil laugh "Me."

And with that she spun her wrist and with a strength Robin imagined was ignited by magic, the noise was singular and precise, she had snapped the man's neck with her bare hands.

The fat man's limp, dead body fell at her feet when her blood stained hand left his neck.

Dead silence dominated the room.

The Queen kept her gaze fixed on the stone wall in front of her and lowered her voice; "I will not give any more warnings."

She turned to face the terrified group, "As you can see-" she lifted her bloody hand, "His blood was red, and not blue. You lot are not special at all and can bleed red blood just as any soldier of mine can." She had a wicked smile on her lips as she looked at the faces of the terror induced nobles, "You can either leave through the door or through the window." Her red hand pointed to each exit in turn, before she placed it on her hip and plastered a fake smile on her face. "Whichever suits you best. Although I find that the sport of tossing people of high birth into hard surfaces is most thrilling. So I would suggest you make up your minds quickly."

There was a beat, and then the snobbish nobles were out of the door so quickly Robin was impressed. They all did bow when they passed the Queen by, who was still standing in front of the double doors. Hurried gestures of absolute fright as opposed to the respect the gesture usually required. The guards remained, all looking at the Queen and expecting her next orders.

She remained where she was, not moving a hair and uttered "Clean up this mess" before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

…

That had been the last time Robin saw the Queen over the next five days. Times had been quite busy, with these so called 'new arrangements' the Queen had come up with. Although the promise of having their necks snapped did frighten most of the nobles away, a few of them did not believe the tale spreading throughout the castle. They were most fortunate that the Queen had not appeared after her little murderous show, and so they were not met with the same fate as the man who dared to question her. They were, however, forced out of the castle anyway and the methods had been far from gallant.

Robin had been given accommodations inside the castle, a spacious room with a large four-poster bed and scarce furniture. The room was mostly bare, but it fitted Robin's needs well enough, him being used to sleeping on the forest ground for so long.

When he had first walked into his new room, he was met with the sight of a young woman laying down a pile of clothing on the bed. She had looked up startled when he walked in, and quickly made her curtsies and scampered out of the room. Robin could not help but linger his gaze on her behind as she walked away. He was, after all, a hot-blooded male still. And the young maid was a fine little thing, although her behind was no match for the Queen's.

Robin's duties so far had been unpleasant and downright irritating. Although no man had dared ordered him around, which he found was a blessing since he would have probably killed any man who tried to look down on him or command him to do anything.

In the past five days he had been showered with reports from all of the scouts the Queen had sent in search of the 'murderous' Snow White, but Robin was never able to deliver the news the royal desired.

Every day he would approach the room he knew she locked herself in and everyday he knocked. Every day, the old man to whom the Queen had honestly smiled to would come out of the room. Every day he would ask if any of the searches had been successful and everyday Robin gave a negative response. The man would then tell him that the Queen did not want to hear any report if it was not positive and would just send him away.

This whole process of being bombarded by scouts and then rejected by the Queen was starting to get to Robin's last nerve. He was bored. Without his heart, he had not pondered on the events that had haunted his dreams for the past year, and now he did not dream at all.

He felt trapped by the chilly stone walls of the castle and would – more regularly than he should – escape to the openness of the small forest that surrounded it. He would venture to the woods, mostly at night, when the scouts and soldiers bearing news and requests stopped tormenting him. There he sat his nights away, thinking, pondering and reveling on the numbness that had invaded his chest.

He made it a habit of always bathing in the river, the same river where she had seen him take care of something he thought she should have finished, just to spite her.

_Damn her._

Even with his hollow chest, every inch of Robin's skin ached for her.

When the fifth day went by and still he had not even seen the shadow of the Queen, Robin started considering his options for tending to his needs. He had fared well enough for the past year without the warmth of human touch, he would normally stroke himself from time to time and that seemed to be satisfactory. Back then, he could not bear the thought of laying with another woman after what had happened to Marian.

But ever since he first laid his eyes on the Queen something inside him snapped. That electric current caused by her touch ignited his desires, making red lust run through his veins, dominating his entire being. Moreover, ever since he had had the Queen gasping and writhing underneath him as they both came, it was as if she had started a fire that had to be continuously tended to, otherwise it would burn down the entire castle and everything in it. And taking care of business himself, although relieving, never really sated his soul.

He had thought long and hard about just breaking into her chambers and getting what he wanted, he knew she was very willing to give it to him, given her breathy responses to his lips on her skin, but in the end he decided against it. Robin had left behind most of his scruples, but one thing that remained from his earnest days was his absolute repulse for men who forced themselves upon women. Who took a simple heated glance or smile as an opened invitation to the confines of their skirts. Plus, the Queen was indeed mercurial, absolutely unpredictable, and such a move could result in his demise, something he had once craved for, but now did not seem like the best of ideas.

Therefore, he actually considered making a move on the petite chambermaid that always came knocking on his door every morning. She would walk in, shy and meek with a fresh change of clothes for him, and she would parade her petite little ass through his room, making his bed under his watchful eye. Maybe he could have a female hand on his cock that did not belong to a selfish bitch for a change.

But come the next day, Robin having made a solid plan to get the girl bending over the bed, not to do her usual job but so he could just fuck his tensions away, she had not shown. He was already half-hard at the thought of his plan coming to pass and, once again, he had to take things into his own frustrated, calloused hands.

All he wanted was smooth flesh enveloping his cock, was that too much to ask for?

_Apparently so._

There had only been dismal, cloudy days ever since Robin took residence in the castle, this day was not any different. As he made his way from the dining hall after he broke his fast, men would now nod his way but never engage in conversation, and Robin wondered if living here was all worth it.

Hurried footsteps attracted his attention to the corridor ahead and the heads of other people walking around also turned in the direction the noise came from. Soon enough Robin found that the noise originated from a breathless young man heading in his direction. He must have been a pageboy, not a day over twenty. The young man stopped on his tracks right in front of Robin, blocking his way. Robin frowned.

"Sir." The youth said, he was rather breathless and was trying to catch his breath. In these few moments, Robin recognized him. He had been one of those boys who had talked about the Queen in the tavern. His words still rang in Robin's mind _'the new Queen's beauty was unrivalled'_. Back then, Robin would have never guessed he would be able to attest to that statement due to experience.

"Sir, the Queen demands your presence in the council chamber at once." The boy said before looking down.

_The Queen demands, now, does she?_

_This should be interesting._

The boy led him to this so-called 'council chamber'. There were two guards standing by the grand oak double doors, with the boy left behind, Robin approached them. Both nodded his way and drew their lances away from the door.

Robin opened the doors and walked in. The room was very grand and well lit by torches that covered half of the walls. The ceiling was high and great stone pillars supported it from many places in the room. There was a great fireplace that faced a round table, the table – despite being very large – had only one chair, beautifully carved, and cushions of a deep red velvet.

Wonder whose arse sits there-

The owner of said arse – along with everything else that had been haunting his thoughts for the last week – was suddenly there, standing in front of the table looking at him. Her usual expression of disdain and boredom was on today, and Robin's hopes of a good fuck began to fade. Especially since today she was clad head to toe in black, the material covered her entire figure. True, the black in particular was leather, so the tight long skirt did accentuate the Queen's hips and thighs. But this time not even her neck was exposed, it was trapped by a choker necklace. The dress was tight as ever, but all her supple flesh was covered in many different types of black material. She had a funny, reddened stripe of hair in her fancy up do that Robin found rather unnecessary.

"You have a visitor, Locksley." She told him, her arrogant tone masking a trace of amusement.

_A visitor? Who could possibly-?_

But his trail of thought was interrupted when his eyes came to rest on this so called 'visitor'. Standing there, only ten paces away from him, was the man who had sworn to have his head. The man who he had saved Marian from all those years ago. The man who had made his life a living hell and forced him and his merry man to live on the run, always looking over their shoulder.

The Sheriff. Nottingham himself.

He looked as smug as ever as he regarded Robin with his nose stuck up, his lopsided smirk of someone who had had ale for breakfast and a posture that only confirmed it. The man had always been taller than Robin, but then again, also so disgustingly small and pathetic when it came to a fair confrontation between the two of them.

Robin was glad that all the feelings he held towards that man had been diminished by his lack of heart. For if he still had the thing beating in his chest, he was pretty sure he would have gone for the man's throat as soon as he saw him.

"Robin Hood, we meet again." He greeted, with a broad, false smile, opening up his arms as if to embrace an old friend. "I must say you look more beaten than the last time I saw you." He mocked, "Don't tell me you are still upset about that girl you stole from me!"

Anger hovered where Robin's heart used to lay. That man _dared_ to talk about Marian.

"I must say though, that I have you to thank for taking her away." He continued and Robin fought against his every urge to attack him, but if he went in the direction Robin feared he was delving into, he could not be held responsible for his actions.

"You must know I beat you to it when it came to… having her." Robin had to close his eyes to block out the murderous thoughts entering his head. "And I must say I found her most lacking."

Robin was ready to pounce at his throat and turn his neck around. He swallowed and finally replied.

"It's probably because she did not give you her consent to _have_ her." He roared.

"That might be it. Although I'm pretty sure she simply lacked that kind of spice."

Both Robin's hands were in tight fists at this point, he then looked at the Queen, his eyes burning, asking her silently to finish this insect off. Her face remained unmoving but pale.

"Ah, so it is true." The sheriff said noticing his actions, "You are really a servant of the Queen now." He clicked his tongue and laughed a little. "Who would have thought?"

"What do you want?" Robin spat.

"Isn't it obvious?" the sheriff stated raising both his eyebrows; "_You_."

There was a pause before he continued; "You see, I'm here to hold you accountable for every crime you've ever committed, every penny you stole, every loaf of bread that you distributed, _Prince of Thieves_." The sheriff spat his former title, "And I, as the sheriff, have good authority to take you away and let justice be served now that the Queen has been so kind as to locate you."

He then looked at the Queen and gave her a fake, cheery smile, which she returned whole-heartedly, the amusement in her eyes making Robin feel what lack of sentiment he had evaporate to give place to a feeling red as blood. His head was thumping, throbbing, it ached due to the amount of hate and anger he felt for that woman.

_Was she really going to let this pathetic man take him? After all they had been…_

_No_. Robin could not have fooled himself to believe that because of mere glimpses of something different between hot kisses and unearthly fucking that she had developed any kind of sentiment towards him; she was a heartless bitch, and this was what heartless bitches did. They fucked you up. Quite literally.

She looked at Robin long and hard, her expression doing nothing to betray her thoughts.

"So Locksley," she started "-as this man points out, you two have unfinished business to attend to." She turned to face Nottingham and took exactly three steps in his direction, the Sheriff smirked and so did she.

But his gleeful expression turned into a terrified one once the Queen raised her hand and a cloud of smoke swallowed his entire body.

Robin's mouth was hanging wide opened when the smoke disappeared and in the place that once stood his deadly enemy rested a slimy slug.

The Queen huffed and smirked beholding her work, she looked up to face Robin, an eyebrow raised; "So finish it."

She turned her back on the sheriff-turned-into-slug and walked towards the round table.

Robin watched her in awe as she turned, leaning backwards on the wooden surface, her hands either side of her hips before she sat on it, staring at him with dark amusement lighting up her features.

"Well, I haven't got all day thief." She said once she had settled on the oak table.

Robin regarded her, long and hard. He then looked down at the slug that had raped his wife. He looked back at the Queen, her eyes wide with excitement that seemed oddly contagious, for he felt it hit him right in the middle of the chest.

Without a second thought, Robin brought the sole of his boot to meet the pathetic slug with thunderous strength. He leaned all the weight his body possessed on that one foot and twisted it, enjoying the wet squelch as he squashed the existence of that foul creature into oblivion. His gaze burning holes into his boot.

When he looked back at the Queen, his foot still crushing the sheriff, he could not help but give her a wide, truthful and yet malicious smile. Surprisingly so, she returned the gesture offering him a smile that could have belonged to a naughty, young woman who had just been caught being up to no good.

The first laugh that erupted in that huge chamber, however, belonged to her. Due to the high ceiling, the sound travelled and reverberated loudly on Robin's ears, but he did not care; soon he joined her and their noisy laughs filled the room completely.

She threw her head back, eyes shut, laughing her heart out. Robin could not help but think she looked her best like this; careless, eyes shut, feet dangling from the table-

She looked _stunning_.

When their laughter ceased, Robin's eyes were filled with tears and he pinched the bridge of his nose, using his thumb and forefinger to wipe away the moisture in the corners of his eyes.

He approached her and stopped to her right side at a respectable distance, simply saying; "Thank you."

She regarded him for a while, her cheeks red from her outburst. She inhaled and exhaled before replying; "Remember that I have told you; you are _mine_." Her tongue caressed the word 'mine' the same way Robin had been daydreaming about it caressing his cock for the last five days. "I was not going to have a ridiculous, little sheriff parade inside my castle, give that spectacle and not face the consequences. He brought it on himself. Wouldn't you agree?" she finished, tilting her head to the side.

"Of course, your majesty" he answered, stretching her title, "I was only doing your bidding, we cannot have scum like that addressing a Queen the way he did." She smirked at his words and Robin took his chance. "Can I be of any more service to you, your majesty?"

"Yes. Yes you can." She responded, sitting back more on the table, the back of her knees coming in contact with the wooden edge. She looked him right in the eye, flames igniting passion behind her eyes, and said two words that made Robin's head explode.

"Fuck me."

Robin's whole world went red all over again, but this time it was due to a far better sensation than the empty rage he had felt at the sight of the sheriff. His eyes widened at her words and she smiled at him, parting her legs, her feet lifting from the ground. He situated himself in between them in seconds, gripping both sides of her thighs and pulling her closer to him.

Before he could think what he was doing, his mouth crashed onto hers and Robin felt fireworks on the pit of his stomach. Kissing this woman was like nothing he had ever experienced before; it burned and it soothed, it killed him and then made him feel so very alive, going through the motions a million times every second.

The Queen's arms rapidly snaked their way around his torso, bringing him closer to her as she released small moans against his mouth. Her thighs had a death grip around his waist as she returned his fervent, open-mouthed kisses with eagerness.

Robin's hands began to travel the expanse of her back, searching for laces or anything of the sort that retained that wretched dress to her body. He was frustrated to find nothing, since the leather was thick and he could hardly even feel her through it, much less try and tear it apart with his bare hands.

Aware of his attempts to undress her, the Queen smirked against his mouth, but instead of helping him, she simply chuckled. Her mouth trailed its fiery, blazing way down his throat, and she masterfully unfastened the first buttons of his shirt with only the assistance of her teeth and tongue. She placed bites over his exposed chest, licking them ever so lightly, driving Robin insane and hardening his cock to the full.

She licked her way up to his neck, her hands squeezing his sides with enough pressure to make his skin blanch, Robin was sure she was going to leave nail bites in the region.

Robin's hands were still erratically in search of a clasp, a hook, a lace… anything in order to rid himself of that unnecessary armor she wore.

The Queen reached the spot on his neck where she had left her mark. It had started to fade but Robin was certain she was going to make sure that did not get the chance to happen. Sure enough, she bit down hard and the proceeded to suck, drawing a long groan from somewhere deep in his throat.

After a few minutes ravaging his neck, she drew away, all the red paint of her lips left on his neck and chest but a red still adorned her cheeks. She had a smug, dirty smile plastered on her lips and Robin could do nothing but just stare and run his desperate hands along her sides.

She chuckled and brought her own hands to the collar of that monstrosity of a dress. Robin was then able to see a thin line that started at where her hands rested that went down to the hem of the dress. Her hands started working the tiny hooks that had been concealed from his view until now.

Robin could see she was unfastening her dress as slowly as she could, with her lower lip trapped between her teeth, teasing him. As the heavy fabric began to loosen around her body Robin, could see that, to his pleasure yet again, she was not wearing anything whatsoever underneath.

He pounced as soon as his eyes met one of her breasts, he pushed the offending garb away and caught her nipple with his mouth. The moan the Queen gave was full and loud, it reverberated throughout the chamber, hitting Robin's ears several times, and enticing him even more in his activities.

As he placed sucking kisses on her breasts, the Queen managed to somehow continue her task of unhooking her pins. He could feel her hands were shaky, one stayed at her clothing, the other shot to his hair, grabbing a fistful as her cries continued.

When the working hand stopped, Robin drew away from her succulent breasts in order to take a look at her. He had not had the opportunity yet to bask his eyes on her naked figure very much, but what had been uncovered made him mouth water. Her breasts were perfectly round, with soft maroon nipples, not too big, not too small, just perfect. She had managed to open the garb down until her stomach, and Robin's hands were quick to end her handy work.

He got to his knees as he reached her lower hooks and when he was finally done, the Queen awarded him by spreading her legs wide, giving him a front row seat to her slick core.

Robin licked his lips, hungry for the feast that was before him and after a second of admiring the Queen's sex, he brought his mouth to it. The Queen jumped and threw her head back with a loud cry of pleasure, trying to brace her weight on her elbows as best as she could manage. She was quick to bring both legs to his shoulders to urge him even closer to her heat, grinding herself against his mouth, and pretty soon, Robin's hands had a death grip in her meaty thighs, moving his tongue in concert with her own movements.

From this angle, Robin was able to watch her twist and shout rather comfortably as he ate the senses out of her. He sucked her bud with might and she arched her back, her nipples still glistening from the saliva trail he had left behind.

When his tongue found its way inside her entrance, she released a high-pitched squeal of frenzy that drove Robin half-insane.

Robin worked on his belt whilst still nipping at the Queen's bud. His hands were not as sure as they usually were, but he still managed to free his erection and lower his pants and undergarments to his knees in a fairly short amount of time.

She loosened the weight from her arms and laid down on the table, panting raggedly whilst Robin was still using his mouth skillfully enough to drag intermittent screams from her. He drew his mouth away and pinched her clit, whilst rising slowly with her legs still hooked over both his shoulders.

Robin raised his hands and removed her legs from his shoulders, then he spread them further so he could see her watching him with a lustful haze playing in her dark orbs from between her thighs.

He placed her right leg on his right shoulder, took his throbbing member and guided it to her wet entrance, teasing her as she tried to buck herself to him. He rubbed the already slick tip of his cock to her clit, which made her hiss, her eyes scrunching shut.

"What do you want, your majesty?" he provoked her, thoroughly loving the death glare she gave him when he spoke with a smirk; "Remember to use your words."

She moaned and whined; "Fuck me already."

Maybe this was not the day she was going to beg him to fuck her with the words he wanted to hear. Had this been another day, another time, and on an occasion where he hadn't been without the addictive feeling of being buried inside the Queen for nearly a whole week, he would have tortured the words out of her. He would have made her moan and plead for him to fill her. But as it was, he was desperate to feel her around him, he was hardly able to contain his own urges and he realized he was not capable of holding back anymore.

Nevertheless, he made a vow to have her beg, someday, _soon_.

And so, Robin placed the tip of his cock of her wet slick entrance and caught the leg from his right shoulder. He lifted both legs making a 'V', and buried his length as hard and as deep as he could.

The Queen's response was a loud scream mingled with a moan. The sound travelled through the room and was quickly met by the slapping sounds their joined flesh made every time he pounded into her.

Electricity ran about his body as he fucked that insane woman, his grip on her ankles forcing her knees to bend. He watched her come apart, in awe of how stunning she looked, her eyes closed, her mouth hanging open and her fingers pinching her nipples.

He released one of her legs and let it fall, dangling off the table as he brought his now free hand to massage her bud. The Queen let out a strangled moan when he rubbed her with his calloused archer's fingers. At least someone seemed to appreciate them.

Her hands left her breasts and went to the wooden surface of table so she could lift herself up. Robin released her leg and snaked his arm around her waist to assist her, and before he could register it, she tangled her legs about his middle and her hands flew to his neck, bringing her mouth up to meet his in a kiss.

Their kisses were sloppy and wet as he pounded her, his hands seemed to want to touch everywhere at once.

She was still wearing that choker necklace, and Robin was able to find in the back of his mind the idea that her red mark might also be fading away. He drew away from the kiss, still pumping into her, wrapped his fingers about the choker, and ripped it apart.

The Queen gasped at his actions, her eyes wide in shock, but Robin did not give a flying fuck. The mark was still there, although it was starting to fade away, and he could not have that.

His mouth was fierce on her neck and she gasped, swallowing whatever poisonous words she had planned for him. He sucked the spot good for a few minutes, drawing away to nip and occasionally kiss it.

With his head buried in her neck, he could not only hear all her moans and groans, but felt them against his lips as they mingled with his own as his cock feasted on her core.

When he was satisfied with the amount of red he had left behind on her neck, his mouth returned to hers. They were both clinging so tightly to each other that his strokes became faster and shorter.

Her whole body was pulsating, singing along with his. Their connection was undeniable. Their mouths danced as one as they both found their release, again, at the very same time.

Coming inside that woman had to be one of the best things Robin had ever experienced, and that was saying something; Robin had gained his fair share of experience. But there was something abnormally pleasuring about having his seed invade her, he could not explain it, but his chest felt as if it was opening up with pleasure.

They remained connected for a while, her head coming to rest on his shoulder as he felt her stuttered breaths on his skin.

Robin looked at the crackling fire and wondered how the hell had he gotten in such a position? Not that he was complaining, on the contrary; this was quite a pleasing position to be in. A position in which he could actually touch the damned woman.

She looked so small pressed against him, her dress opened, part of her bare skin exposed to him. Robin guessed that the commanding image was very much attached to the height of the heels she wore and her imposing posture.

She raised her head from his shoulder and met his eyes.

"Very well Locksley," her voice was rather raspy as she brought her index finger to trace his lips. "Your services were more than satisfactory." Her voice was low, her eyes on his mouth.

"Is your majesty in need of a second round?" Robin tried, he noticed his voice was rather hoarse as well, a smirk playing on his lips.

The Queen bit her lip and replied "A second, and then a third, and a fourth… As many numbers as you can give me Locksley."

But before Robin could make good on his promise, an infuriatingly familiar voice reached his ears.

"Your majesty!"

The Queen sighed in annoyance and rolled her eyes.

"I'm coming." She said looking at the fireplace.

Robin frowned at her actions.

"Is that…?" he started.

"Yes, it is." She cut him off, Robin's frown became deeper, "I've found a way to keep him… manageable." She told him, her hands pushed at his chest and Robin drew back from the Queen, his body instantly feeling the loss of the vibrant buzz her skin provided.

She quickly fastened all the hooks on her horrid dress as Robin got his pants back up and secured his belt. When she was all done and decent she headed to the fireplace, over to the barely noticeable shelf above it. She reached out for a hand mirror on the shelf that had been covered with a piece of cloth.

She looked at the mirror and bellowed "What?" all her purring and sassiness having left her.

"Your majesty, she's out. She's finally left the castle."

The Queen actually cracked one of her crazy smiles, "Wonderful."

She looked up at Robin; "Locksley, I want my carriage ready to leave at once."

"You've found her then? Snow White?" he asked.

"No, unfortunately some people have been completely useless to me in that department" she regarded the mirror with disdain and then looked back at him with that half-crazed glint playing in her eyes, "But there is another dark haired, young woman that interests me greatly."

**TAM DAM DAM DAAAAAM!**

**I love the cliffhangers I swear to God I could put a cliffhanger in the end of every single chapter if I would.**

**Next chapter we go back to Regina!**


	8. Mirror, Mirror

_Snow was alive._

That damned girl was alive.

Regina could not believe that after all the trouble she had been through, that damned doey-eyed brat managed to get away.

Things would _not_ end like this. Regina would find her, she would find her even if it was the very last thing she did. She would get her, grab her by the throat and kill her with her own bare hands. She longed to feel the warmth of the girl's blood dripping through her fingers, she craved for the sight of those bright green eyes as they went wide with despair and then dull. She wanted to be there to see the color extinguish from her cheeks, and for her lips to turn chalky and white just like her foolish complexion.

Regina only had to find the damned girl first.

The day after the failed attempt on Snow's life, Regina planned her words and actions with care. She had to manage to paint Snow as a monster, as a disturbed and murderous little girl to her late husband's men. She had needed to provide a reasonable explanation for the outlaw's presence, the Princess' disappearance and the sudden desire to have her killed, in addition to encouraging the knights to be willing to serve her without question. Her twisted, fictional tale, combined with her skills of persuasion seemed to do the trick, and Regina had the fools eating out of the palm of her hand.

Regina managed to, not only get rid of the unnerving amount of nobility that pestered her castle, but to also appease the men she would need to use to complete her plan.

Although, in addition to the list of Regina's issues, there was also the whole problem about that thief that she could not seem to keep out of her head.

And that particular issue, she hadn't quite resolved yet.

He had grabbed her and whispered words into her ear that both infuriated and enticed her. He had been sure and confident when he had told her that he'd '_make her beg to be fucked into oblivion_'. Regina could not possibly let an opportunity to provoke him get away after his insinuations; she had been both terrified and delighted that he met fire with fire.

When he had first pushed her into the wall, instantly, Regina had felt like that helpless, 18-year-old bride who knew next to nothing about anything and was absolutely terrified of the notion of a man touching her. Memories of Leopold had flashed before her eyes and Regina felt like crying.

But the thief's touch was not abusive, nothing like the King's had been; it was intense, and instead of hurting her, it warmed her, set a fire alight inside her. It did not demand, but cherished. Regina let her fears slip away when his mouth came in contact with her back. His sucking kisses and bites adored, worshiped her body. They also burned; the electric sensation grew stronger with every new touch.

Regina felt her blood boil when the commotion drew the outlaw's smooth and demanding lips from her warm flesh. But her blood almost evaporated due to the heat of her anger when that noble man had looked down on her and doubted that she was in any way imposing or a threat.

She was having no more of that; never again would anybody doubt what she was capable of.

When she felt the life leave the man's body with a mere gesture of her hand, Regina felt an odd jolt of numbness invade her body. It was the usual sensation she felt when taking a life, but she had never had such an audience before. It had been particularly thrilling seeing the fear in the noble people's faces, and the awe mixed with admiration in the outlaw's eyes.

Regina had spent the rest of her day trying every single tracking spell in the book in order to find Snow. But the damned girl seemed to be sheltered from her somehow, and no amount of magic Regina had at her disposal had been successful.

In the next few days, the reports of the search parties she had sent out had come. Regina had little interest in learning details; she only wanted to know the answer to one question.

"Have you found Snow White?"

The endless negative responses made her head nearly burst.

…

It was on the fifth day of her exhausting and frustrating search that the unnerving genie had found a way to reach out to her.

She had been in her personal library, a place concealed from everyone in the castle, one she had built herself through the years and years of magical training. The room had once been a maid's quarters, attached to her own chamber, but had never been used for that purpose.

Regina had found the door that had been concealed by a hideous piece of tapestry leading to it in her first married year. She had found the hidden room – basked in the idea of having a secret place for herself – and set to work in making it her sanctuary. It was the only place in the castle where she truly felt at ease.

There she had hidden the mirror the genie had given to her, and it was through it that she heard his pleading voice.

"Your majesty, your majesty!" he called out, "Please."

Regina had been engrossed in a book about tracking people by personal items, chunks of hair and pieces of flesh. The voice startled her, her gaze shot immediately to where she remembered the mirror had been hidden. She was not on the least interested in speaking to that foul man ever again, so she brought her eyes back to the yellowed page.

"Please your majesty," he continued. "Regina."

_That was it._

Regina practically flew from her seat and in no time, she had the mirror in her grasp. She looked the looming head inside with rage.

"Do not-" she started, her anger cutting her off before she recovered and spat; "Never call me by my given name you-"

"I'm sorry, I-" he pleaded and Regina was disgusted; he was pathetic.

"What do you want from me?" she said in a harsh tone, narrowing her eyes.

"Only to serve you my Queen." he replied, in that meek, pleading tone that made Regina want to hurl.

"You are of no use to me." She spat.

Regina started to lower the mirror to place it back where it had been, but the genie's pleading voice called out, a little desperate, "No wait!" she brought it back up, "But I am, my Queen, I am."

"Fine." Regina huffed "Humor me. How?"

"Due to my curse, I am able to travel to any reflective surface in this realm." He gave her simply.

"Oh?" that had caught Regina's attention alright.

"I _can_ locate Snow White for you." He lifted an eyebrow, speaking in a victorious tone.

_Finally! Something this damned, disembodied head said was worth hearing._

"And why have you not done that yet?" Regina asked, tone still poisonous. She could not help it; that man, that _thing_, was revolting.

"Because I want to make a deal with you," he explained. "I want you to give me something back for my services."

Regina held back a laugh, "Did you not just say all you wanted to do was serve me?"

"I did – And, and I _do_ my Queen." He stuttered about his words, "All I want is look upon your face." he had that sweet, pleading tone again that made Regina's upper lip curl in disgust. "But I beg you, please, take the spell away from the mirror inside your chambers."

_Oh._

Regina's stomach was flipping upside down. He wanted to _see_ her. Of course, he had been enthralled by her, he said it was love despite Regina knowing it was no such thing; it was lust, a lust that was most certainly not reciprocated.

Regina could not bear the mere idea of having his hovering face looking at her as she went about her chambers, as she changed, as she slept, as she...

"Absolutely out of the question," she said, her head high looking down at the mirror. "I value my privacy more than anything and I am not willing to sell it for Snow's mere location."

"Please your majesty," he begged. "Your face haunts my every thought, I'm completely and helplessly in lov-"

"Do not _dare_ say that!" Regina cut him off fast before he used that word to describe his pathetic, little feelings. "Do you not understand me? I feel nothing but abhorrence for you! Besides, how am I to know that your words are even true? What proof have you of this?"

"I have been looking into the mirrors of the Dark One's castle," he said eagerly. "And have found something quite peculiar."

"What?" she snapped.

The face in the mirror smirked and his image faded away to show her the image of Rumple's castle, more specifically his dining hall. There was, however, something indeed off about the scene, for there was a young woman sitting on the dining table whilst Rumple had his face buried in a book.

The girl tried; "Do you want to talk about it?"

She had a funny accent and was rather pretty, with piercing blue eyes and wavy brown hair that reached a little over her shoulders, Regina noted.

"There is nothing to talk about; I missed the damn knave, end of story." Rumple replied, not moving his gaze from the book.

"You do not fool me." The girl said, looking sympathetically towards him.

_This was indeed peculiar_, Regina pondered.

Rumple did not reply but simply hummed.

The girl hopped out of the table, still regarding Rumple and went to stand beside his chair.

"You are not the man I thought you were." She said, and – to Regina's utter astonishment – leaned down and kissed the Dark One on the cheek, ending with a heartfelt; "I'm glad."

She gave him one last smile before she left.

Rumple's gaze did not falter from the book. But his hand came to rest where the girl had placed the kiss, and for a moment Regina could see his skin change to a rosier, more human tone. But all too soon, the sparkly greenish scales returned.

The image died and the face of the genie reappeared on the mirror, Regina was dumbfounded.

"That was indeed peculiar." Regina said coolly, careful not to demonstrate her excitement, "Who is she?"

"Her name is Belle. She is a princess who has sacrificed her freedom in order to rid her father's kingdom of the ogres pestering it," the genie informed her, "She's bound to serve the Dark One forever by contract."

"Very well, you have given me something of mild value." Regina said, carefully measuring her words, "But nothing could _ever_ buy what you seek."

"Then, your majesty, let me see you once," he begged.

"What are you talking about? You are 'seeing' me as we speak you fool." Regina snapped, becoming irritated at his words.

"No. I wish… I _yearn_ to see all of you, my Queen," he stuttered. "I long to see you in your full glory. I want to see _everything._"

His voice had grown darker and Regina understood then what he meant by 'everything', but nothing could have ever have prepared her for the next words he uttered.

"I have seen you angry, mad enough to hurt yourself in your fury attacks. I have seen the hurt the King had caused you, enough for you to do what you did. I've seen many things from you my Queen, but I'm yet to see you pleasured." He spoke slowly and Regina was praying to whichever Gods who lived the skies above that she was hallucinating.

"What?" she hissed feeling her eyes widen.

His response was now quick and desperate "Please, your majesty, just once, let me see you pleasure yourself, I won't ask again... Just once."

Regina felt bile rise in her throat, her breathing become quicker as her heartbeat raced, she was sure she was going to vomit.

She was so shocked that, for a moment, she thought she had forgotten how to move. She was no blushing virgin – far from it – but this request repulsed her. She hated this man, he had known her for a little over a week, and yet he had claimed to know her, know of her afflictions, and worst of all, he claimed himself to be in love with her. She knew it was not possible for anyone to love her, she had made sure of it, locking herself up in the icy façade of the Queen she never wanted to be.

_I will never love again, and no one will ever love me,_ she remembered the promise she had made ten years ago to her father.

She knew the former genie was only interested in her physical beauty. She knew it because she had used it to manipulate him, like she had so many others.

There had been something about his reaction, about the way he had looked at her when she had exposed her true colors and confessed that she had been using him all along. It was as if he was not even listening to a word she said. She was sure she could have used far harsher words and he would still have had the same reactions.

But it was the moment when he had made his wish that Regina knew for certain he did not love her. He was just obsessed, crazy about her, but not in love. Regina knew what love looked like, and what played in the genie's eyes was most definitely _not_ it. It had been so long since she had seen love shine in Daniel's eyes, but she could remember it as if it were yesterday.

And although Regina was no expert in the matter, she knew that if you love something, you should want to see the object of your affections content. Never trapped.

He had chosen to chain himself to her. And she had been terrified when the smoke engulfed his figure. Terrified of what that wish would do to her life. She had just broken the shackles that chained her to the King, only to have another man try to trap her.

But he had been the one who ended up imprisoned and Regina had felt like laughing as relief washed over her.

_And now he wanted to watch her pleasure herself? _

Regina could not say she was surprised that the man, _thing_, had wanted to see that, but all the same, it shocked her that he had voiced his desires.

Her mind wondered to the image he had shown her of the Dark One and the pretty little brunette. That would be very useful to Regina. That girl was clearly a weak point for Rumple; Regina could see he liked her. And if the genie was able to reach into the mirrors of the Dark Castle, surely he would be able to locate Snow. And furthermore, act as a spy for Regina, be her eyes-

But the price was far too costly. To bare herself in front of him felt demeaning to Regina, as if she was letting him win over her and she did not like that feeling in the slightest. Unless-

Unless she was able to turn the tables in her favor.

Unless she was able to get what she wanted, and ensure the genie would never ask for something like this _ever_ again.

The wheels turned inside Regina's head and the answer was simple. So simple a laugh escaped her lips, and the hovering head looked puzzled back at her. She met his eyes, her own sparkling with malice. He would regret having ever asked to watch her.

"Fine." The genie let out a relieved breath Regina noticed he had been holding ever since he had stopped speaking. "I will allow you watch while I pleasure myself _once_. Only _one time_, is that clear?"

"Yes." His voice was raspy.

"But we will do this my way, _mirror_." Regina said quickly.

"Of course, my Queen." His sweet voice was back, and Regina wondered if she was indeed going to be able to go through with her plan without hurling in the process.

"First of all, the deal," Regina started "Since your price is rather… personal, I will only agree to it if we seal it magically. There is a spell, an ancient spell, in which the involved parties make a vow. And if that vow is not fulfilled… the failing party suffers dearly."

"What is the price to be paid for not fulfilling this vow?"

"Life" she said slowly and the mirror's eyes widened. "I would think such a spell is befitting to our situation, don't you?"

"Yes," he breathed.

_There_. That _thing_ did not love her. Regina hated him even more now.

"Good." Regina faked a smile she knew he would buy, "So on your end of the bargain, you must vow to assist me in anything and everything I require you to. You are to vow to never disrupt me unless you have news that are of importance to me. And also, to never turn against me." She smirked, "Do you agree with my terms?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, yes I do." The genie said, almost choking on his own words.

"As for me, I will vow to allow you to watch me pleasure myself _once_. I am to call upon you when I am ready and _only then_ you may appear upon the surface of my mirror." She explained, swallowing the bile rising in her throat. "Remember you have to watch the _whole_ thing. Are you sure you can handle that?" She raised one of her eyebrows in challenge, drawing him into her dastardly plan.

"Yes."

Regina smirked and felt truly evil. But in all fairness; he deserved it.

"We make the vow now. But this little show you are making me put on will not happen today, nor tomorrow-" Regina thought through her plan before she continued; "It will happen when you are able to provide me with useful information. Information that will help me take action against my enemies. Do you agree to that?"

"Yes, my Queen."

"Good."

Regina left the mirror on the table and headed for one of the many bookshelves she had in her secret library. She ran her fingers along the spines of her precious magical books, looking for the material on Dark Arts Rumple had given to her. This particular spell had been created by a sorcerer from another realm. The some people in said realm could wield magic, but they had to make use of a wand, only the very powerful ones had no need to use one.

Her fingers met dark green leather with gold embossing and Regina knew she had found the one.

She placed the book on the table and grabbed the mirror once more.

"What is the name of this spell, my Queen?" he asked.

Regina's voice was grave when she answered; "The unbreakable vow."

"And it is called so because…"

"If you fail your vow, you pay the price of its magic with your own life." Regina said, her voice low and dangerous, before she sardonically added; "hence the 'unbreakable' part."

Regina looked away from the mirror and back at the book, starting to chant the magic words of the spell. Since this spell usually just required a wand, she had come up with a verbal incantation to substitute it. Regina always found that those wooden sticks were pathetic; words carried the most powerful magic of all.

Wands were for weak, little fairies. Wands trapped magic and Regina had all the magic she needed flowing through her veins. She had no use for a sparkly stick; her magic was overwhelming enough on its own.

She said her words carefully, making her vow very clear, and so did the hovering head inside the mirror she held on her hand. When he was done speaking, she felt a jolt of magic crackle between the two of them. A thin thread of white magic enwrapped the hand and wrist that held onto the mirror, snaking its way around the handle of the object, binding them in their contract.

The thread faded away and Regina looked at the image in the mirror before declaring; "It is done."

She took a long breath; the spell had drained her somewhat. "Now, I want you to keep an eye on that girl, Belle. Rumple will set her free, I can feel it. He knows she makes him weak."

Regina's eyes travelled far off, then snapped back to the mirror. "And when he does I want to be informed immediately. Now leave my sight at once, search for Snow White and only return when you have valuable information. _Then_ will I fulfil my end of the bargain."

"But-" The head was gone before he could even complete his sentence.

_Well, this was just perfect_, Regina wryly thought as she slammed the mirror on the desk

…

_Skin on skin, his touch burned her, his hands made a hot trail on her bare flesh. Her nails dug into his back, he pushed in harder and harder and Regina felt alive like never before. The connection was almost unbearably good when his lips crashed upon hers, hot, wet and savage. _

_Her dark orbs meet his blue ones, his dark blonde stubble prickled her neck, that smell of forest, so revolting and yet so enticing, invading her senses. She wanted to feel this whole always, her skin prickled and she never wanted it to stop... _

Regina awoke with a start and a very undeniable wetness between her legs. Ever since she had sealed the deal with the outlaw, memories of their one time together haunted her dreams.

Well not _haunted;_ they weren't unpleasant memories after all...

How long had it been since she had last seen him? Five, six days? She had been so engrossed in finding a way to locate Snow she had had no time to enjoy the services the outlaw was willing to perform.

This dream in particular had been quite vivid. Regina could still feel the heated trail blazing on her skin, a sensation she had only ever felt with him.

Regina decided even before she had gotten out of bed that she would be having the outlaw between her legs that day. She had barely finished her intricate up do – Regina found that the hot pink stripe in her hair served as yet another way of protest against her old way of life – when there was a timid knock on her door.

She flung the door open so fast she thought that the young pageboy who stood on the other side was going to pass out. He was looking down at his shoes as informed her in a timid voice that there was someone at the gates demanding to have an audience with her. 'Who?' Regina had asked; the boy replied that it was the Sheriff of Nottingham, who had come on the account of Robin Hood. She informed the boy to lead the Sheriff to the council chamber and then retrieve Locksley, the boy flew from her sight.

From what she had heard about the Sheriff, Regina was not expecting much. And what she had heard had proven to be very true; he was an ordinary looking man, who clearly thought he was something extraordinary. He spoke as if he were a noble man – which Regina knew he was not – and dared to kiss her hand assuming he'd appear cordial. Regina had wanted to snap his neck for that, but she was far too curious to see how events would unfold to finish him off. For the moment anyway.

She played her part, pretended to sympathize with the Sheriff's ideals. But it was after the thief's brief exchange of words with the Sheriff that Regina felt her blood simmer with murderous impulses towards that disgusting man.

_He had raped the thief's wife?_

Regina knew she was no saint, her heart blackened to the point of no return. But the way men thought they had a right to claim ownership and force themselves on women was something she had always found appalling, her abhorrence had only grown throughout her marriage to the King. She remembered how it had been her who had been a victim of such an abusive man. Back then, when she had no way to defend herself, no one could have helped her; her attacker was the _King_ and her _husband_, and to all outsiders' eyes she was merely doing her wifely duties.

She saw the anger and hate grow inside the outlaw's eyes and figured he was only able to contain himself due to the fact that his heart lay beating inside her vault.

Regina was sick and angry; she wanted to make that man pay, but she figured the outlaw should be the one to finish the job.

Regina would never admit aloud that she turned the man into an insect just so the thief could have his revenge on him, so he could avenge the violence inflicted upon his late wife. Even though she knew that he knew that had been her intention, for when he thanked her, the voice that reached her ears did not carry a single drop of the contempt he had been glaring her way just moments before.

As she studied him while they talked she was reminded of how long it had been since she had felt the buzz of his touch, almost a week, and that had proven to be far too long.

When he had asked her if he could assist her any other way, that small grin tugging on his lips, Regina could not resist but command him to fuck her. Then his hands were everywhere and she regretted wearing such a heavy and impossible dress. Regina eventually managed to free herself from it while provoking the thief, a sport that had become a favorite of hers.

The thief was on fire between her legs and Regina could not have been more pleased, his intense touch leaving reddened marks on her skin Regina would later trace with her own fingers and shiver at the memory.

It was good, it was far _too_ good. It was the best sex she had ever had; in every encounter they had, the electric spark between them seemed to grow mightier and mightier.

And Regina was flying, she noted that they reached their peaks in unison again, and once again she was momentarily deprived of air due to the overwhelming sensation. She tightened, and he released and it felt perfect.

The mirror's interruptions were starting to get to Regina's last nerve, but she knew that now his interruption was not prominent of a jealous disposition, but of an informative visit which was bound to be important.

The girl was out. This was Regina's opportunity to try to talk to her, and manipulate her into ridding that imp of his power and making her life a hell of a lot easier. Aside from the fact that, if Rumple had no powers, killing him would be like child's play.

She had the thief come with her, not inside her carriage, obviously, but ahead with the other knights. She knew the road that led out of the dark castle well, having made that journey – regrettably – far too many times. Her carriage flew its way up the path, until the driver informed her that there was a peasant in the road, and she ordered him to stop immediately.

She looked at the girl, who seemed very pretty, before opening the door to her carriage with a friendly smile that contrasted with her choice of attire.

"Did my carriage splash you?" Regina asked faking concern.

"Oh no, I'm fine, thank you." the girl, responded with a pretty, tight smile.

"I'm tired of riding," Regina said taking a small breath looking at her driver, she looked back at the girl, Belle, her name was Belle, and said; "I'm going to stretch my legs and walk with you for a spell."

The conversation with the young girl went just as Regina planned; she was very naive and quite eager to believe anything Regina told her about being able to 'cure' her master/lover.

Regina laughed internally when she told the girl that _'true love's kiss can break any curse'. _

Break curses it most certainly did, but it could not solve all problems. Something Regina had learned with painful clarity.

Regina had heard a muffed laugh from behind her that originated from none other than that damned thief she insisted in keeping about when she told the girl; _'I would never suggest a woman to kiss a man who held her captive. What kind of message is that?'_

She did not think twice before sending a small enchantment down to his nether parts, squeezing to the point of pain. Then it was her time to hide a laugh when she heard him wince and let out a low groan behind her.

But the girl was gullible enough to believe that if she kissed Rumple, he would turn into an ordinary man and they'd have a chance at love and happiness. Well, part of that was true; Regina could see that indeed it was true love that zapped between the pair. And true love would most certainly strip Rumpelstiltskin from his curse, turning him into an ordinary man.

She could not help but feel a touch of jealousy for the creature; he had found someone who loved him truly, just as he was, darkened soul, rotten heart and everything in between. He had been corrupted by magic and power and yet this girl still found it in her heart to truly love him.

He had poisoned Regina's life and tarnished her heart, tricked and manipulated her. She had resigned herself to the idea that she would never love again, and nobody would ever love her, and yet this girl had apparently fallen for _the_ _imp, _of all people!

_He does not deserve to be loved_; the jealous voice rang in her.

_But I do_, a young woman with braided hair tried timidly.

All voices were muffed by the cackling that came from the elder Queen who wore a crown adorned with a heart shaped ruby. She insisted on telling Regina; _love is weakness,_ and this was the prime example of it; Regina was going to use love against her former mentor, to make him even weaker, to strip him of all his powers.

Regina did not need love; she could never be weak. What she needed was Snow White's blood dripping through her fingers as she slit the girl's throat.

If everything went according to plan, this 'Belle' would kiss Rumple and all her pretty dreams would come true; he would be man again, an ordinary man, capable of love but not magic.

Upon further consideration, Regina stopped entertaining thoughts of killing him. _Oh no_, she would much rather watch him suffer whilst being stripped of his powers. That would generate much more enjoyment for Regina.

There was still one last problem that she was bound to now take care of. Regina decided that sooner was better than later to take care of an issue as _delicate_ as that.

…

That evening Regina sat on the bench facing her new dresser, there were three frames deprived of mirrors. She looked beyond the furniture set and smirked, bringing one of her feet to rest upon the seat and opening her legs wider.

She had let all her hair down, it cascaded down her back and the loose curls tickled her bare skin. Regina had shed all her clothes, and was sat naked as the day she was born. She ran her hand about her figure, brushing by her breasts, past by her stomach, down her navel until she found her core.

Regina closed her eyes. She massaged her bud once, twice, then lifted her free hand, summoning her magic to work for her. A mirror appeared on each of the once empty frames and she whispered once.

"Mirror."

Regina had her eyes closed for the sole purpose of not having to look at that man's face whilst she did this. She had been very careful in her vow not to specify if she herself was to watch the act as well. She knew he was there, she could hear his heavy breathing as she continued to massage herself.

"Oh your majesty."

Regina swallowed hard in order to keep her face straight and to quell any thoughts of how sick the person in the mirror made her.

She hated doing this.

_This is humiliating. _

But soon it would not be. She kept that thought in mind. Soon it would be him wishing this had never even happened.

She brought her index finger to pinch her bud and hissed, the little pain shooting spikes of pleasure through her. She resumed in rubbing her clit, now a little bit harder and let a small moan escape her lips.

"My Queen-" he stuttered "-you are a vision."

_We will see about that._

_We will see if you can indeed handle seeing me, disgusting creature._

With every intention to make him suffer in mind, Regina brought her other hand to assist her. It travelled its lazy way up her thigh and found her core, which was starting to get slick due to the activities the other hand had been performing. She inserted one finger and threw her head back moaning.

Footsteps reached her ears.

Regina smirked.

She continued to pump her finger inside her cunt whilst the other hand rubbed her bud lazily.

_Step, step, step_.

"Who is that?" the confused voice of the mirror asked in a whisper.

Regina did not answer but continued to rub herself, releasing another breathy moan. She still had her eyes closed but her lips had twitched into a grin.

_Step, step, step_.

"Your majesty-" the mirror stuttered, "Is that-?"

_Step, step, step. _

She could feel a figure approach her naked form and excitement flew about her whole body making her shiver; she released another moan for good measure.

"Is that the thief?"

Her eyes snapped open.

_Step, step, step._

He was standing right behind her, only a breath away from touching her skin. Regina could see him through the side mirror, he was looking at the hovering head dead in the eye, his expression unreadable. Regina could feel their electric connection tingle between them already due to his closeness.

"My Queen, what-" the mirror looked at her puzzled and Regina simply continued rubbing as if nothing out of the ordinary was coming to pass. Regina tilted her head a little bit more, making contact with the outlaw's broad, shirt-covered chest behind her.

The thief's gaze shifted down to her figure and he brought one hand to retrieve her mass of wavy hair and throw it over one of her shoulders.

"What-?" it was a mere whisper from the mirror.

Regina turned her neck to the side so the exposed side of her neck was more accessible, her gaze not really focusing anywhere.

When she felt the outlaw's fingers rest on the recently exposed skin, she could hear the mirror's distinctive voice whispering "No..." in disbelief.

The outlaw's fingers traveled down her neck and his hand cupped one of her breasts, she could feel his gaze burning her. His touch was extraordinary.

"No" the mirror said again, a little louder.

The thief brought one of his knees to rest upon the chair she sat on, beside the leg that was down, bringing his body to finally touch hers. She could feel his erection pressed against her back and leaned onto it drawing a low groan from him.

"Your majesty..." the mirror said in a pitiful tone

But she ignored his pleas and basked in the sensation of having the outlaw's hot body against hers. She continued to pinch and rub her clit and pump the other finger inside of her, her lower lip drawn between her teeth.

Locksley brought his head down to her exposed neck and started placing suckling kisses that made Regina's head go dizzy. She let out a content moan, releasing her lip and momentarily closing her eyes as he took care of her neck and pinched a hard nipple.

"No, no-" the mirror begged.

Regina was starting to feel light headed with the treatment the thief gave her, but her rubbing hand was still resolute on her clit.

"Oh, Locksley," her voice was low and a tad hoarse, the thief rose his head from the crook of her neck to meet her eyes. "Would you be a dear and lend me a hand down here?"

"Your wish is my command, your majesty." He grinned and kissed her neck once more.

The hand that had been ravaging her breast moved down and met her own, covering the hand that had been pumping a finger in and out of her.

"Allow me, your majesty."

He took her hand in his own removing her index finger from inside her, her other hand still moving in fluid circles. The thief then brought the hand up near his face and took the coated finger in his mouth, drawing a gasp from Regina.

"No, no…" the hovering head pleaded, and through her pleasured haze, Regina found a smirk growing on her lips.

The outlaw let go of the hand so his own hand could travel back down her body and easily find her entrance. Two long calloused fingers were inside her and Regina threw back her head with a yelp, starting to thrust her hips to meet his pumping movements.

Regina's eyes were wide open now, one of her hands persisted in rubbing her bud while the other had found the thief's head and she sensually scraped her nails over his scalp. The thief's free hand ran lazy lines about her side, making Regina shiver and contract her walls around his strong fingers inside her.

"Please your majesty-" the genie tried, "Don't-"

Regina snapped her head up and regarded him for the first time. She had a repulsed look on her face, her eyes were narrowed, her lips pressed firmly together, and although her cheeks were flushed and her breathing was uneven, she was still able to address him in all her regal hate.

"Didn't you want to see me touch myself?" she asked jeeringly. "Well-" she yelped as the outlaw – who was still going nice and good with his fingers down below – twisted his fingers and touched a particularly sensitive spot.

She caught her breath and continued; "Well, there you have it. As you can see-" her gaze darted to the hand that had not left her clit ever since the beginning "-I am still touching myself."

She smiled an evil, perverse smile.

The dumbfounded expression in the mirror made Regina cackle.

The outlaw's free hand had found its way to Regina's thigh and he traced the supple flesh torturously slowly. His touch was light but still electrifying. Suddenly he grabbed her inner thigh and tugged it.

Regina got the message and without drawing her hand from her bud lowered the leg so both her feet were now on the ground. The outlaw removed his hand from between her legs and lifted his weight from the stool, his hands encircling Regina's waist when she stood.

In a quick move, the outlaw kicked the bench to the side hard, the object screeching across the floor before crashing into the wall. Regina could see him clear as the day in the mirror to her side, and she chose to drink in his image to distract herself from the doey eyes that still watched her, still pleading.

He was clad in only a white shirt and his dark green trousers. His feet were already bare; he had removed his boots right after he had recuperated from walking into her room to see her already bare, looking at herself in her full length and completely protected mirror.

With his hands still on his waist, still standing behind her, he lowered his body until he was resting on his haunches. He then quickly ran his tongue through her slick opening, passing by her asshole – making Regina shiver – up her entire back, trailing along her spine, shoulders and neck. He drew his head from her flesh, his body pressed fully against hers as he stood upright. Regina looked at him and he captured her lips in his.

The kiss only lasted for a moment; when the genie's voice rang in their ears, both heads shot to regard him.

"I'm sorry your majesty." He stuttered, clearly trying to look away from the vision. "I should not have asked this of you. I know now; I was wrong." He paused to look at her, pitiful and pleading, "Please make him stop."

"No," she snarled. "You see, my end of the bargain has been fulfilled-" she grinned "- I have let you watch whilst I pleasure myself. But I'm afraid yours has not." She made a face of faked innocence and hissed when the thief started sucking the red mark on her neck. "As long as I have my little hand down here-" she motioned down with her head "- I'm still touching myself, and so you are still bound to watch. If you so much as close your eyes, you'll die."

She felt the outlaw let out a laugh that was muffed by the flesh of her neck, and she couldn't help but let out a chuckle of her own.

"So sit back and enjoy the show, _mirror_." She drew away from the outlaw's grasp and, with one hand still between her thighs, approached the dresser. She rested her free hand on the piece of furniture and leaned her weight onto it, looking him dead in the eye, "_You_ asked for it."

With that, Regina twisted her fingers on her clit releasing a moan, her back arched and her bare arse rose up. She continued to play with herself whilst she watched the outlaw behind her through the free mirror. He was burning holes at her with his eyes, the way he looked at her made her feel like the most powerful woman in the world.

He started working on his belt still staring at her, his eyes hungry and bottom lip trapped between his teeth.

"NO!" the mirror screamed and Regina laughed.

The outlaw smirked freeing himself from his pants and undergarments, shoving them down and taking them off, eyes still fixed on Regina.

The mirror's repeated begging for them to stop continued.

Regina had a smile plastered on her face and watched as the outlaw now approached her, clad only in his white shirt. He grabbed Regina's hips with might and hissed placing his _oh so hard_ member at her entrance.

The outlaw drove himself inside her all at once, burying his cock ball deep inside her wet sex. It felt like heaven, it felt like everything in the word was right, regardless of the fact that she was a maniac chasing after her seemingly helpless stepdaughter, and he was a bandit without a heart and yet could still possess an alarming amount of bloodlust.

_They were right, this was right…_

Regina's hearing had been muffed by the overwhelming sensation of being so thoroughly fucked. But after several thrust, it started coming back and she could hear that irritating voice still begging.

"Your majesty, no, please-" she was so sick of him, "You've punished me enough."

The pair ignored his pleas and the outlaw drew his member almost all the way out before burying himself deep inside her again. This time they started slow, slow but deep thrusts until Regina was mewling and almost begging for more.

But the begging and whining coming from the genie were starting to thoroughly irritate her. She figured, even though she had planned for the mirror to watch the whole thing, she was not enjoying herself so much with his suffering anymore; it had become tiring. So finally drawing away her hand from herself she placed it on the dresser and looked at him again

"I guess the show is over for you mirror."

The outlaw stilled, with his cock still inside her he regarded her through his reflection on the mirror. "It's over for you- " she lifted her weight from the dresser and brought her working hand to cup the thief's cheek "-but it's never over for Locksley."

She chuckled as the thief started licking her juices from her fingers.

"Just remember this next time you ask me for a favor, mirror. Goodbye."

With her free hand, Regina set her magic on all three mirrors and shattered them into thousands of pieces so small they turned to dust and disappeared. Regina laughed again.

For a moment, the pair just stood there, the thief's length still very much buried inside her, his hands started to run lazy patterns about her sides. The electric current playing about her skin made it so very easy to forget that this was just a ploy to get back at the mirror. But soon enough, she forgot all about the whole business and just allowed herself to _feel_.

Regina closed her eyes and let her head tilt behind when the outlaw started moving inside her again. He groaned as he pumped in a rhythm Regina was most eager to meet, his arms circling her frame, holding her against him.

Suddenly he drew completely from her and Regina voiced a noise of protest as her eyes snapped opened in confusion. His hands still had a firm grip on her waist and turned her around to face him. He had the smuggest grin on his lips, and Regina met it with a raised brow.

"What?" Regina asked, only now did she realize her voice had gone hoarse again.

"You are really evil, you know that?" he said, his voice low. There was no judgment in his tone, but rather the implications of the facts Regina knew only too well.

"I am aware of that." She responded, "Maybe people should start calling me The _Evil_ Queen for good measure." They both laughed.

"Now shut up-" she closed the distance between their bodies by grabbing the white fabric of his shirt and pulling him into a quick but fierce kiss "- and fuck me into oblivion, otherwise _you_'ll be at the other end of my evil ways."

Still wearing his smug grin, the outlaw started leading them both to the dresser until her butt touched the wooden surface. With his grip still on her waist, the thief lifted Regina to sit on the dresser as if she weighed nothing.

"Oh your majesty, I very much look forward to being at the other end of your evil ways if they look anything like this." He mocked and did not give her a fair opportunity – as if either of them played fair – to retort before he buried his cock back inside her.

The outlaw quickly picked up the pace. Long gone were the languid, slow thrusts he was giving her only moments ago. However, Regina could not complain; the friction was driving her near to insanity.

He hooked his arms under her knees and pulled her even closer to him, almost lifting her from the dresser while still pumping hard and fast inside her, reaching even deeper. Regina was on the verge, holding onto his shoulders and digging her nails hard into the flesh where his shirt had slightly tumbled from, wanting to mark him in more ways than one.

This was insane; this moment right here was the best she could ever remember feeling. It should not have been possible, and yet, there she was, her body practically singing in pleasure as this savage, uneducated animal pumped into her, growling in her ear and digging his fingertips into her ass to bring her hips more forcefully to meet his.

She came, long and hard. Regina's head nearly exploded and she could barely register that he still pumped into her a few times before he found his own peak.

The outlaw was panting heavily with his head resting against one of her shoulders, his strong arms still holding her legs.

This had been most fulfilling, the look of utter desperation in the genie's eyes, how much she hated the way that _thing_ looked at her. It served him _right_. First, he had made that outrageous wish, putting not only his life in jeopardy but hers too. What if he had worded it another way? Regina would have ended up yet again a slave to the pleasures of a man she did not love, a man she actually despised.

Only the thought of what might have been brought shivers of terror to Regina. She was nobody's plaything, and if he thought that she would ever play fair after his request, then he must have been even more of an imbecile than she originally took him for, with a level of insanity to match.

Then again, it was most probable that he was even more insane than she and the outlaw were put together.

Right now Regina felt like she had the world on a leash; she had managed to trick the nauseating genie into a deal which would only really benefit her, in addition to punishing him for pestering her every moment since he had entrapped himself by her side with his own naïve stupidity. She also had a new tool to not only track down Snow but to spy on her enemies, Rumple especially; that girl could be the key to stripping him of all his powers.

And of course, this was to add to the delicious man that was currently occupying the space between her thighs, the one who made her skin burn and her head go light and dizzy.

Pretty soon, when she was _finally_ able to annihilate Snow White's very existence, Regina would be able to sit back on her much-earned throne and relax. But for now, there was always work to be done if that fantasy was to be realized sooner rather than later.

Taking a long breath, Regina straightened her spine and disentangled her legs from the outlaw's grip. Her movements made him draw his head from her skin as he brought his eyes to meet hers and relaxed his arms, their bodies still connected elsewhere.

Regina brought one of her feet to rest in the middle of the outlaw's chest and pushed him away from her. He stepped back, his now softening member slipping out of her, Regina felt the loss instantly and, for a wild moment, she pondered the possibility of having him stay.

But _no_, there was far too much work to be done, plus she would not give the outlaw the impression that he was anything special to her.

Because he was not.

He was the best sex she had ever had. Nothing more.

_Is that so?_ Humored one of the many voices inside her head, but she shut it up before it could say anything else.

"You may leave now thief." She said coldly, her foot still on his torso, his eyes looked from the foot to her and then back to her foot.

He did not look happy.

He moved from his spot so fast Regina almost fell from the dresser, having not had the chance to redistribute her weight off his chest. He moved swiftly about her room, collecting his pants, putting them on and finding his boots.

Regina got down from her seat on the table to watch him as he walked about her room, he was a fine specimen indeed. Very handsome, and seemingly obedient – at times.

He had just fastened his boots and was already heading for the door when suddenly he stopped in his tracks. He turned around slowly and met her eyes, Regina was clad in nothing and she could feel his eyes devour her image inch by inch.

Before she could register what was happening he was standing right in front of her and his lips were crashing down onto hers.

Regina knew that she should not have responded; she should have pushed him away and set clear boundaries. He was there to please her, not to steal kisses whenever he pleased. Nevertheless, when the tingling – which she had found was particularly strong whenever their lips touched – invaded her senses, Regina's head always became dizzy, and all her thoughts and plans melted away.

Regina felt one of his hands between her thighs again and her gasp was swallowed by their kiss. He drew two fingers inside her and twisted them in the way it touched a delicate spot. He drew both fingers and mouth away from her just in time for her to voice her embarrassing moan.

He was smirking now.

_Bastard._

"I just thought I could have something to remember this by." He said raising the wet fingers, a combination of her arousal and his seed dripping from his fingers, and promptly sucking them dry.

Regina's eyes were glued his fingers, she felt her teeth clench; she was so mad that she was so extremely turned on by this man. And he knew it; somehow she could see that he knew exactly what was going on in her head.

"Who would have known that outlaw and Queen made such a tasty mix?" He said turning around and heading for the door. Regina felt her blood boil. He opened the door and if he was not out of that room in less than 10 seconds, Regina would incinerate him.

He left and the ball of fire hit the door with an explosion.

Regina took a deep breath.

_Why am I so mad?_

_Control dearie; you have no control of that animal_, that mocking voice was back.

_If you did not like the joke you can always gag him the next time, _reasoned the still naked Queen drinking a glass of wine, _plus you cannot deny it that you did enjoy his…performance._

_Better get rid of him dearie, no good has ever come from loss of control,_ the mocking voice insisted.

Regina went to sleep that night with the many voices in her head arguing with each other, trying to reason her to act as they saw fit. This whole affair was bound to drive her insane. But the dull ache between her legs and the fiery spots the outlaw had created distracted her from the unwelcome words. 

…

The next day, a shy knock on her door drew Regina from her slumber.

She was just about to drift back into deep sleep when the timid knock returned. And persisted.

Regina got up from the bed and with a wave of her hand was all dressed and ready to severely punish the person who dared to wake her.

Regina's fuse was short as it was, and it was already burning when she called out to the door.

"Yes?"

A freshly broken, clearly adolescent voice replied "Your majesty? I have urgent news."

Regina huffed and went to the door and opened it. Standing on the other side was a young man clad in a silver colored vest coat and white pants, a symbol in the middle of his chest that did not belong to her flag.

"Your majesty-" he bowed, "Forgive me for coming at this early hour but the news is urgent and you yourself did instruct me to come-"

"Out with it boy!" Regina said in a firm and loud voice. "Tell me what happened."

"It's Prince James your majesty-" the boy stated, "-he's dead."

…

**My infinite thanks to my beautiful beta Zoe who is a gem and to all of you who review, favorite a follow this story, those little notices make my day brighter! THANK YOU!**


	9. Charming Affair

_6 months ago_

"But my lord-" Regina tried to reason, "Is it wise to leave Snow all by herself?"

"Nonsense Regina," the King stated, "Snow is old enough to take care of things herself."

"Allow me to stay with her then-" Regina tried, "-to help her. Please my lord, I worry."

"Ah wife," Leopold said with that sickening smile. He brought his fingers to graze about her chin and Regina had to hold back not to finch at his touch, "-you are too good for my Snow. You spoil her too much, my dear Regina."

Regina gave him one of her manufactured smiles and responded with the words she knew he wanted to hear; "Of course my lord, as if she were my own."

The King was pensive for a moment, Regina internally rejoiced thinking she would get to escape going on this journey to King George's kingdom. Leopold had rarely taken her on any of his trips, the man clearly preferred the company of his infuriating daughter much more than he did his own wife's. But Regina did not mind in the least; she despised her husband, just as she loathed his daughter. The further away both of them were from her, the better.

But this time Leopold wanted to test Snow, see if she was able to manage the kingdom on her own, if she was ready to rule. The whole notion could not interest Regina in the slightest but when the King had informed her that Regina herself was to accompany him on his trip to the Southern Kingdom, Regina's mood sank to her feet.

She detested the man, managed to find every way possible to avoid being in his company. Precisely one year after Regina had started to learn magic, after being married to the King for the same amount of time, she had managed to teach herself how to wield an illusion spell, which proved to be one of the most useful incantations she had ever learned. It would last for a couple of hours and that was more than enough for her purpose. When Leopold would request her presence in his chambers, she would cast the spell and go about her merry way back into her chambers, letting the magic fulfil her wifely duties.

But now, the prospect of this trip meant that Regina was probably to share sleeping chambers with Leopold, something she had not done in years and was not willing to do at any time in the future. The very idea of having him touch her made Regina want to vomit and cry; she still remembered quite well how he had forced his way into her on their wedding night, despite her drawing back from him and trying to voice her fears.

She _hated_ him more with every time he took her, every time she would close her eyes and wish she were dead, wondering how in the world such an act that had felt so unearthly amazing in Daniel's arms could feel so repulsive now.

"Nonsense Regina," Leopold said, drawing her out from her thoughts. "Snow will be fine. I know you care for her-" he took her hand "- but we have got to help her fly on her own, otherwise she will never learn"

_I will help that girl fly all right, _Regina mused; _fly out of the window._

…

There was no talking the King out of his resolution.

Regina sat in the luxurious carriage facing her much-hated spouse and forced a tight smile his way whenever he regarded her.

Suddenly it hit her. It was so simple, she wanted to kick herself for not doing it whilst she was still in the castle so she could have avoided this trip altogether.

The smallest of grins found its way to Regina expression as the King looked out of the window. She touched, ever so lightly, with the tips of her fingers, the back of her other hand summoning her magic to work in her favor. An almost untraceable green mist appeared on the back of Regina's hand for a moment, and then worked its way through her skin. She watched, pleased, as her hand – along with the rest of her body – grew a shade lighter.

Regina did not feel any different, but found that some of her usual theatrics was in order.

When the spell was done, Regina let out a ragged breath and clenched her middle screwing her eyes closed.

That immediately drew the King's attention.

"Is something the matter Regina?" he asked with concern

"Oh, it's nothing my lord." Regina said, making her voice a light murmur, "I just feel a little light headed."

"But Regina, you've grown too pale!" the King exclaimed, his eyes were wide

"Do not worry, husband," Regina faked. "I'm sure it's but a dizzy spell from the carriage."

"Your face is as white as Snow's, wife! You are not well."

_Seriously? Is he really going to compare my complexion to his daughter's?_

If Regina had not felt sick before, she most certainly was feeling sick now.

Regina felt like that was her cue and looking at the King with her best show of desperate eyes, she said; "My lord, I would urge you to ask them to stop the carriage."

The King, seemly understanding where this was going, ordered the halt of the carriage and before he could utter another word, Regina was out of the vehicle.

Then she ran, weaving her way through the trees for a good minute before she halted, resting her back on a time worn tree trunk. The entourage was barely visible through the very small gaps between the trees and Regina was glad, she knew nobody would come for her; the whole staff at the castle knew by now that the Queen was not keen on helping hands doing her bidding or lacing her corsets.

And she knew from experience that the King would not follow.

As Regina ran she could not help but feel like that young woman desperately riding her horse. An 18 year old who had just pushed her mother into the unknown and was trying to gain control over her life.

She regretted the decision of marrying the King every day, and regretted having believed Rumpelstiltskin. She had been so naïve back then; she believed that since magic had taken Daniel away from her it could also bring him back, and the power she would have with both a mentor like Rumple and her status as Queen would enable her to do just that.

_Fool._

She had been such a fool

Now as she ran, wind touched her cheeks like it had when she rode Rocinante, all she wanted to do was to never stop running and disappear. She could, if she wanted to; she could simply poof herself from this place and never come back. She almost did, but then she remembered why she could not.

Her blood lust rose to her cheeks, warming them and probably bringing back all the color she had vanquished from her face with her magic back in the carriage. She wanted that horrid man, the King, to _suffer_, she wanted to watch him die as she told him she loathed him and that she was going to kill his precious little girl. She would render in gory detail how she would do it as slowly as she could manage, so that his precious little flake of Snow could feel just a little of the pain Regina had endured through being married to her father. Being abused by him, being used by him, being regarded as nothing but a pretty accessory he could show off to other rulers. She longed to laugh in his face, to watch his eyes grow wide with terror when the King realizes he is finally powerless against the Queen. At that moment, she vowed she would.

So there Regina remained, catching her breath, back against the wood, she closing her eyes. She was wearing a dress that was definitely not fit for her surroundings, nor the weather. As they had made their way south, the heavy, ice-white dress became more and more unfitting, she had abandoned her muff and hat inside the carriage, but still, the tight and thick fabric suffocated Regina to no end.

Releasing a final breath and resolving in going back Regina opened her eyes, but her attention was suddenly drawn to a noise she heard not far away.

Reluctantly – and with much caution – Regina followed the sound; it was dry and poignant, as if something was being flung into a wooden surface in one firm shot.

Regina moved through the narrowly spaced trees and carefully hid herself behind one of the thick oaken trunks. When she looked around the tree, curiosity winning over judgment, the sight did not disappoint.

She was met with the sight of a man; clad only with dark brown trousers and boots, the rest of his body was exposed to Regina. He had his back to her, a back that twitched and turned with perfectly toned muscles as he pulled the string of his bow taut. The muscles of his back popped out and sweat adorned the pale skin which bared a slightly red hue due to Sun exposure. Regina could only stare at in awe as she felt a new feeling invade the pit of her stomach.

He released and the arrow hit the tree trunk with a muffed stinging sound which drew a small gasp from Regina who had been distracted mapping this man's attractive torso.

How long had it been since she had had a young and strong man such as this wrapped in her bed sheets?

_Far too long_, Regina concluded.

Something suddenly took over Regina's reasoning and if the yelp of 'Your majesty?' had not drawn her from the sight of this mysterious man, she would have stepped into his line of vision and done what she did best.

But the voice yanked her attention back to the road and her head snapped in its direction. She scowled at whoever had interrupted her plans, and murderous thoughts invaded her mind when she turned back to find the clearing was now empty.

She went back to the carriage, careful to repeat the spell on her skin to remove the blush of anger and… other things, as well as reddening her nose a little, walking carefully and slowly.

She was met with a concerned look from the King whilst she closed the carriage door behind her.

"Regina, how are you feeling?"

The Queen shook her head. "Not my best my lord, I must confess"

"Do not worry my dear, we are but a few hours away from George's castle," he assured, placing a hand on Regina's knee. She almost kicked his shin – _almost; _holding herself back at the last minute. "I will arrange for you to have the most comfortable chambers in the castle so you can rest."

"Thank you my lord." Regina said weakly, measuring her words with precaution, "Although I do not wish for you to catch whatever it is that plagues me, husband."

"Ah Regina, you are but too good hearted," he said with a small smile, squeezing his hand on her knee. Regina felt her stomach twist.

_Take your disgusting hands off of me._

"I will let you rest alone wife, if I have any need of you I shall send for you."

Regina let out what felt like her first breath ever since she had discovered she was to come on this wretched trip.

_Victory_

...

A few hours later, they had arrived at their destination. The castle was a far cry from the one she inhabited; the walls were constructed of a light wash stone, and tower after tower rose above, the symbol of King George's crest painted on each of the flags that stood above each of the tall towers.

Regina was in absolute no mood for any royal curtsies and false compliments that she was sure was expected once they met with this King.

She had met King George at her wedding, but then again she had met half of the whole realm's royalty on the day of her wedding, she could hardly remember any of them, nor did she really care. He was a widower, like Leopold, and Regina had to wonder if she would meet a version of herself on the arm of the King. Another young pretty thing of royal birth, miserable and with absolutely no say in the matter.

But no such thing happened; they were greeted at the doors of their carriage by the royal steward that was trying far too hard to make them feel welcome. He led them to the throne room where King George sat on his heightened seat.

They approached the King but sounds of running footsteps drew their attention back to the doors of the throne room.

Regina heard the King utter – with a not very pleased – tone, "James."

Regina turned around to look at the tardy Prince with annoyance already hovering about her mind, but the sight of the Prince himself had her taking a deep breath through her nose.

He was extremely handsome, the kind of handsome you would expect from a Prince but never truly got. As he walked in their direction, he had a dashing smile on his face, showcasing all his perfectly white teeth, eyes blue but intense, and blond, tousled hair.

The prince could not be a day over thirty years old, but he wore no beard which made him appear even younger. He was tall and strong, taller than his father, and most definitely taller than Leopold.

He was dressed as one would expect a Prince to be dressed, but was out of breath for having had rushed for this royal appointment. Nevertheless, he wore a smirk in his lips as he regarded his father bowing his head.

"Father." He had a baritone voice, just a little dark and strong, Regina could grasp that he had been raised to be King only by the tone of voice he used. "Forgive me, the hunt took more time than I expected."

He strode to where the King stood.

"James, this is King Leopold and Queen Regina from the North," the King said sternly, gesturing to the pair. "I trust you know your manners."

"Yes, of course," he said not having time to really look at the pair before bowing his head to Leopold, he lifted his head and met his eye. "King Leopold," he turned his gaze to Regina and she could see his expression change almost completely upon looking at her, he bowed his head after another moment, "Queen Regina."

He lifted his head and looked Regina deep in the eye for a beat longer than necessary, she could sense awe and curiosity in his blue depths.

_Hmm…_

_Interesting_

_This could be fun_

Regina smiled warmly back at him which earned her a grin from his part, his eyes still not leaving hers.

"This is my son James." King George suddenly interrupted their small exchange as both turned to regard the King. "He was out in the hunting party that was bound to fill our feats' table tonight."

"Oh, and be sure that it will," the Prince said a little smugness in his tone; he looked at Leopold "We even managed to get a wild boar."

"Ah, that is indeed fortunate." Leopold commented in his diplomatic tone; he had never been a great fan of hunting himself. "Although I'm afraid my wife will have to excuse herself from dinner, she's not feeling her best."

"Oh?" Prince James regarded Regina with a puzzled expression, he looked almost disappointed.

"I'm afraid my health has proven to be a little too fragile for long carriage journeys," Regina explained in her usual pleasant tone "I'm not really used to them."

It wasn't a lie; Regina was much more used to riding horseback, preferred it to the tedious monotony of the royal carriage. Although Regina was sure that if she had indeed gotten sick in the carriage, it was due to the company and not the shaking.

Regina gave the Prince a weak smile which he returned; she could see he fisted one of his hands on his side.

"James," King George said, "Why don't you show Queen Regina to her chambers? She must be weary and in need of rest." He then looked to Leopold; "I need to discuss some issues with King Leopold."

"Of course father-" James said as he turned to his father, it escaped Leopold's eye – but not Regina's – when the Prince grinned for a split second back at his father, who gave the young man a roll of eyes. The Prince approached Regina and offered his arm; "Queen Regina?"

She hooked a hand into the crook of his elbow and they both exited the chamber quietly.

They walked, arms entwined, in silence for a few minutes. He was indeed strong; she could feel his heavy, toned biceps through the fabric of his shirt.

The pace he had chosen was far too slow for a lively young person such as himself.

Their hips would occasionally knock together, or their legs would brush against each other's, but neither of them seemed to find it necessary to apologize or comment on it. A fact that made Regina wonder how this charming prince looked underneath his regal clothes and started filling her head with all kinds of ideas in an alarming number of positions.

She blamed her disposition on having seen a half-naked mystery man at the woods earlier; it had awakened something in her that was quite wild. The fact that the Prince kept looking at her with far too much interest, and looked good enough to eat also cooperated in Regina's fantasies.

The Prince broke the silence first.

"So, Queen Regina-" he started, "-how do you like the kingdom?"

"Well, it's quite early for me to have formed a valid opinion yet," Regina said in her gentle tone she knew worked wonders with nobles and gave him a small smile.

"That is true," he chuckled

"But-" Regina turned to look at him, the sunlight beating on his light hair made him look even more handsome, and God, he knew it "-from what I have seen so far I find it quite _charming_."

"I am glad we've made a good impression so far, your majesty." He smirked at her.

…

Regina popped another blueberry inside her mouth, tasting the bittersweet sting of the fruit and sighing contently after swallowing.

She had shed all her heavy and unconformable clothing as soon as the door had shut behind her. Regina was careful to lock the door behind her, grateful for some privacy at last. If she had been forced to share a room with Leopold, she might have set fire to her expensive light velvety grown. The King adored it, therefore Regina abhorred every inch of it.

She had drawn herself a bath with the assistance of her magic, summoning the water and bringing it to a pleasant temperature – not too hot, not too cold. She basked inside the spacious tub for as long as she wanted, the warm water easing the muscles on her back, easing her foul mood into an almost calm disposition.

The trunks containing Regina's many possessions had been brought to the chambers before her arrival, but she was not at the leisure of even bending down to retrieve her clothing. After stepping out of the tub, shivering at the feel of the cold stone against the soles of her feet, Regina simply waved her hand, and the cool slippery feel of silk hugged her still wet figure.

The fabric clung to her erect nipples and became see through due to the mixture of wet flesh and the light colored silk. She did not care.

Regina thought of this as her own little protest against the customs and laws of royalty, which she had always despised, ever since she could remember, and now was bound to obey more than anybody else. She let her dark curls fall from the knot she had created in order to bathe and sighed.

This was to be her new, little prison for the time being.

Though Regina was accustomed to being trapped, and she rather enjoyed the change in the scenery; anything was better than having to accompany the King.

Regina planned to spend her evening inside that very room, a beautiful, spacious chamber, very clearly decorated to please a young lady. The four-poster bed was made out of a creamy colored wood, the fabrics which adorned it in pastel toned blues and greens fell gracefully. Not much to Regina's liking, but the bed did house several comfortable cushions and pillows which pleased her immensely. Regina was also thankful for the balcony, it was not as large as her own but it would do quite nicely. The double doors that led to them were of the same wood as the bed but shared space with light blue glass, making Regina sigh at the idea of light coming inside her room early in the morning.

Regina watched the sunset, leaning against the secure fence of the balcony, letting the last rays of warmth caress her exposed skin.

Her mind wondered as to the reasoning for her being here, and with whom, and even the peaceful landscape could not stop the tears from pooling in her dark brown orbs.

She thought of Daniel, her sweet stable boy, lost to her forever. She still loved him, so very much, and she hung on to that feeling with a death grip. It was the only good and pure thing in her life, the memories of Daniel, the stolen kisses in the barn, the 'riding lessons' in which they would ride as far and as fast as they could muster, crush their bodies against each other and kiss like it was the last day of the world...

"Oh Daniel…" she closed her eyes and let the tears fall down her cheeks.

Taking a deep breath, Regina reopened her eyes and pushed back the happy but hurtful memories.

When the sun was a bare bright string of light against the horizon, Regina reentered her pastel prison with a sigh.

She would try to get some sleep and then keep her eyes closed for as long as she could manage, hoping slumber would bring her pleasant dreams of a time when a blue-eyed, young man held her tight and whispered he loved her.

A knock on the door snapped Regina out of her daydreams, and remembering her place and station, Regina slipped on her pleasant Queen mask and went to the door unlocking it. A middle-aged maid stood at her door, holding a tray containing various types of fruit and a jar along with a chalice.

"Good evening your majesty," she said, pleasantly smiling at Regina after bowing her head, "I have brought you your dinner."

"Oh, thank you." Regina said in a voice she could hardly recognize herself as she made way for the woman to enter the room.

"Don't you worry your majesty-" the maid said as she walked in and placed the tray on a small circular table "-all these are quite soothing for the stomach, nothing to make you ill."

"Well, thank you-" Regina stated "-then I don't suppose you have brought me any wine?" Regina asked with a laugh, appearing in jest, but truly, right now, wine was sounding like the best idea she had had all day.

"God forbid, no your majesty" the servant replied amused, "I have brought you a special mix of berries made into a juice that treats the uneasy stomach." The woman explained as she made her way back to the door, for which Regina was quite thankful, about a minute of curtsies was all Regina was seeming to be able to manage at the moment.

"How wonderful, I do hope to feel much like myself tomorrow," Regina said as the woman walked out of the door and turned to face her.

"You will your majesty, do not worry." the servant assured, "I bid you goodnight" she bowed again.

"Goodnight" Regina said with a small smile and closed the door, leaning against it instantly after with a huff of irritation.

_No wine_

_Damn_

She could fix that.

Regina walked towards the table, placing the tray there, and inspected the content inside the metal jar. The smell was quite pleasant, so Regina poured it into her chalice. She brought it to her lips and tasted the medical miracle of berries and found she rather liked it, there was only one thing missing; _alcohol_

She placed the goblet upon the table and waved her hand about it. The liquid contents bubbled for a second before easing inside the cup as if nothing had happened. Regina tasted it and sighed happily.

_This will do just __fine__._

Regina laughed at the thought that she herself might have been quite an accomplished cook, had she ever been given the chance.

And so Regina popped blueberry after blueberry inside her mouth lazily, she had brought the plate to the bed and laid there, only thought in her head was the wonder if the next berry was to be bitter or sweet.

Regina was almost dozing off at the tedious act, the wine having made her a tad sleepy when a sharp knock to her wooden door woke her from her small haze.

Her head shot up from the pillows in alert; this knock did not belong to any servant. This knock was firm and incisive. It was not the knock that asked but demanded.

Dread filled Regina's heart.

_Leopold._

_No__._

With her eyes glued to the door, Regina started to summon her magic to cast her illusion spell. She rose from the bed reluctantly and headed for the door in the slowest pace known to men. She took a deep breath as her hand met the handle in order to try to calm her nerves.

Her mask, she had to put on the mask.

Concentrating hard, Regina was able to hide her true colors and plaster a tired but sweet look upon her face. Since she knew her dear husband was not going anywhere, especially when he was in need of what he came to claim from her at night, she opened the door, spell ready to be cast.

The spell, however, laid forgotten, vanishing from the tips of Regina's fingers as soon as she saw to whom exactly the firm knock belonged.

Prince James.

Prince oh-so-handsome, please-ravage-me-now James was at her door, smiling in his best attempt to look earnest. Regina was very good at reading people and knew that if that man had come to see her at night there was only one goal in his mind.

Regina even entertained thoughts for letting him have what he was seeking, but of course, he would have to work for it.

He stood there and to Regina's utter surprise, holding a couple of folded blankets on one of his arms.

"Prince James!" Regina let escape in a startled higher tone that she had not intended on using.

"Queen Regina-" he started, that baritone voice pleasing her ear, "-please forgive my intrusion"

"Oh no,-" Regina started in her sweet pleasant Queen façade "- it's no trouble my lord, please" she stepped aside and gestured for the prince to enter her chambers, which was not the most lady like of attitudes, especially when she was clad in such thin fabric, which had, thankfully, long been dry.

"You were dearly missed at dinner tonight," he said as he strolled inside, Regina closed the door behind him, turning around to meet his eye in a pleasant toothless smile.

_What am I doing?_

_Why did I close the door?_

_Am I really going to do this?_

Excitement bubbled in the pit of Regina's stomach. At last, a fun distraction after such dull months had dragged on.

"Oh, I am sorry about missing dinner." Regina started clutching her robe to her, crossing her arms about her torso, "But I'm afraid I would have been such dull company. I have not yet mustered all my strength back."

"I am sure you could never be anything even resembling dull, your majesty" he said, a small grin on his lips.

He inspected her body from head to toe, the light silk covered most of it, all of her legs, the extension of her arms, but it was tight and hugged her figure, showcasing her curves.

"Well thank you your majesty, you are much too kind-" Regina said, bringing a little crimson to her cheeks.

"I only speak the truth, Queen Regina" Gods she hated when people called her 'Queen' Regina; it was as if she were not herself, not a real person, but a mere title, an institution.

He smiled at her and she reciprocated with the same intensity but brought her eyes quickly to the floor to give the illusion of bashful sincerity.

_What was happening?_

Regina's eyes darted to every location in the room but the spot where the Prince stood in silence. She could feel his intense gaze on her.

He cleared his throat before confessing; "I have brought you some extra blankets-"

_Oh, no he did not..._

"-in case you get chilly during the night."

That had to be the most ridiculous excuse she had ever heard.

"This room in particular could get quite cold during the night."

_Oh, and let me __guess__; you want to assist me in keeping warm?_

"Thank you Prince James-" Regina said meekly, pretending to buy his lame excuse to come and see her alone, "-but there was no need, you really needn't have worried-"

"I can assure you it was no trouble at all." his gaze lingered a beat more on her breasts before they returned to her face and Regina had to wonder if he could see her hard nipples through the dry fabric.

"Could I interest you in a glass of wine?" she tried.

This could prove to be a much more enjoyable night than she had previously anticipated.

"Yes!" he practically beamed opening up a smile, and what a killer smile. If Regina had been younger and more naïve, her knees would have definitely have felt weak at this particular show of teeth.

But Regina was no naïve maiden, no gullible young woman, and she knew what that smile was seeking. But the prince did not need to know that, Regina rather liked the idea that he would think she was just a kindhearted, young ruler with a fragile health. So, smiling her kindest smile, Regina gestured to the table where her magically prepared wine rested.

They both approached the table and the Prince set the blankets on the back of the chair before sitting down, his eyes never leaving Regina.

Upon seeing this, Regina smirked inwardly at the possibilities. Her robe might have been long sleeved and ankle length, but she could most certainly work some magic in her favor.

Her empty goblet rested upon the table and she realized they only had one cup. Biting the inside of her cheek Regina bent down to retrieve the jar, Regina lingered and performed the process of filling the cup leisurely, being certain that in her bending down, the V created by the wrap of her robe about her breasts dipped and gave the prince an ample view of her chest.

Needless to say it worked out wonderfully; as soon as Regina was bending down the Prince's smirk dropped along with his gaze that ravaged her newly exposed skin. Regina observed out of the corner of her eye how his light blue eyes grew darker and how he fisted one of his hands hard.

_Good, __good__._

After pouring, Regina took the goblet and looked at him with a kind, bemused expression as she offered it to him.

"Prince James?"

He was snapped out of his haze and offered her a smirk in exchange for the goblet.

"Aren't you drinking?" he asked

"Yes, yes I am" Regina replied with a kind smile, "I just left my goblet by the bed"

She walked towards the bed and bent down just beside it in a spot where the prince could easily see her behind rise with the movement, but he could not see that her hands were working magic in order to manufacture another cup. She looked back at him, still bent over and he had his lower lip trapped between his teeth. He released it as soon as eyes her met his.

Regina stalked back, pretending to be blissfully unaware of the sexual tension in this whole situation and poured herself some wine. Regina took a seat across from him and they toasted to her good health.

"Were you in bed when I knocked?" The prince inquired after he had moved the cup away from his lips.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I was." Regina replied with a small smile.

His half-assed apology was not sincere in the slightest; "I'm terribly sorry to have disturbed you then,"

"Do not be sorry, I'm wide awake now." Her eyes grew just a little and ever so lightly Regina rubbed her bare foot on the Prince's leg once. He grinned.

"I wonder-" he started placing his goblet on the table "-why is it that you have never visited us before?"

"Oh-" Regina looked down at the table taking a small sip from her wine and said in a defeated tone; "- the King has always preferred the company of his daughter on such journeys."

"I cannot fathom why, you are such lovely company," the Prince flirted, but Regina could see that he had a puzzled look on his face, as if he could not quite believe what Regina was saying.

"Thank you, your highness" Regina said with a small smile and placed her goblet on the table, folding her hands about her lap. "But the King only seeks to show Snow everything he can about ruling the kingdom. After all, she'll be in charge one day."

"I take it she's not yours then?" Prince James inquired; this conversation was taking an unexpected turn.

"No, she's not." Regina stated and for a moment let her mask slip whilst she stated. "We are only 8 years apart in age, your highness."

This new information took the Prince by surprise; it always would when she revealed it. Not many people remembered just how young Regina had been when she had been forced into a marriage with a man old enough to be her grandfather.

There was a pause in which they regarded each other, and Regina let slip some of that real pain she felt for being in this miserable marriage. The prince regarded her with a frown adorning his forehead and brought his chalice back to his lips.

"My father wanted me to court her," he confessed, Regina's eyebrows rose in surprise at the new information. "But after spotting her at a ball about a year ago I decided against it."

"Oh?" Regina said truly surprised for a change, "Why?"

"She was-" the Prince started, he gestured with his hand trying to find words to describe Snow, Regina could have fueled him with a few of her own, but they would have hardly been considered polite, "-too vanilla for my taste."

Regina had to let a chuckle slip, the prince spoke truly; the girl was indeed insufferably vanilla. She let herself get slightly more loose and inquired.

"And I pray you tell me Prince James, just for my curiosity sake, what kind of woman would please you then?" Her leg brushed against his again under the table, goblets long forgotten.

He widened his eyes at her question.

"Well-" he started "- I guess someone a little bolder, a little spicier and a little older than her. Definitely somebody more interesting and -" he eyes were on hers now, a grin played on his lips "- much, much more beautiful."

Regina raised one eyebrow. "Oh?" she said slightly amused, their eyes still locked, "Aren't you picky, Prince Charming?"

A strong wind stormed inside the room through the open balcony doors, Regina shot from her seat to shut them, hearing his hearty laugh at her statement.

"Prince Charming? That's new," she heard him reply as she closed the balcony doors. She turned around to face him with a small smile playing on her lips. "I merely know what I want; I see no reason to hide it."

"And have you found anybody who suits your criteria?" she asked walking back to the table. She did not, however, sit, but chose to stand behind her chair leaning her weight on the back of the piece of furniture, a move she knew showcased her breasts nicely.

"I might have, yes," he said, taking his time drinking in the curve of what could be seen of her breasts against the chair, he returned his gaze to her face as he spoke. "But I'm afraid she's already been taken."

Regina smiled back at him pushing her weight from the chair taking a few steps back so her whole figure was in his line of sight.

"Define 'taken'." Regina purred and if the Prince intended to reply to her question, he was muted by her actions.

Regina loosened the strap of silk that secured the robe to her body and let the light garment slide from her shoulders. It slipped over her bare skin and Regina could not help but shiver. She looked the now-dumbstruck Prince square in the eye; he looked at her in awe, his mouth having dropped. His eyes ravaged her body, seeming to catalogue every inch of skin.

"Oh my, I seem to have dropped my robe-" she said in her still friendly tone, his eyes were on hers as soon as she started speaking, complete bewilderment decorated his dark blue pools, "-would you be a dear and pick it up for me?"

The Prince did not move for a beat, his eyes raked her body and Regina felt like a truly powerful Queen. She could see that she had managed to shock the Prince to no end which amused her immensely and gave her a boost of confidence; her make believe 'kind Queen' façade was rather believable after all.

When he did move, he took quick steps in her direction, certain and strong. They were a mere foot apart when the Prince surprised Regina by dropping to his knees, letting a huff escape his parted lips.

Regina did not have much time to register his actions; in no time he was placing open-mouthed kisses her to her stomach and on the top of her thighs nearing her nether parts, hands coming to grab on the back for the thighs holding her close. Regina hummed at the contact and observed as he licked her skin slowly, groaning in between, probably still not quite believing this was really happening.

Regina encouraged him by opening her legs slightly. With a hungry groan he ran his tongue all the way from her right hipbone to her aching clit, which drew a small ragged moan from Regina. He gave it one stingy and nice nip before he removed his mouth from it to trace the other hip bone, one of his hands coming to grab her arse while the other got a hold of the robe she had discarded on the floor.

His mouth made its way up her body along her side, stealing shivers from Regina as the Prince hummed satisfied. His mouth then found its way to one of Regina's nipples which he took fiercely in his mouth, making Regina shoot her hands to grab onto his head and pull him closer, his one free hand sliding sensually along her back. His kisses then traced their way up her neck until he was biting her earlobe.

His voice was dark, much more than usual, when he whispered in her ear; "Your robe."

He drew back from her a little bit so they could make eye contact and lifted the hand that had retrieved her robe from the floor.

Regina regarded the cloth, looking back at him and replying; "I have no need of it anymore."

She brought one of her hands to slither under his shirt, feeling his strong torso against her soft palms "-it's grown rather hot in this room, don't you agree?"

She let her hand drop from beneath his shirt but not before brushing it against his erection. The Prince hissed at the contact.

"I would have to agree with you, your majesty. Plus-" he said, eyes on her lips "-you look much better without it."

He discarded the robe, tossing it away.

"I think it's high time for us to drop the titles, don't you?" Regina started, she took one step forward, almost closing the whole distance between their bodies; "Call me Regina."

With that, Regina's hands found their way to his belt and quickly unfastened it. Prince James grinned and used his own pair of hands to push his trousers down along with his undergarments. He kicked them off quickly, never breaking eye contact with Regina.

"I'm James-" he said snaking his arms about her middle, bringing her body flush against his, the heat of his hard erection hot against her thigh, "-it's nice to meet you Regina."

And with that he claimed her mouth with a hungry open-mouthed kiss.

Regina was only too eager to respond; snaking her own arms around his neck.

She drew back from the kiss and uttered; "Ah James-" she drew a finger about his lips "-the pleasure is all mine."

He gave her a malicious smirk and attacked her neck with his mouth, tracing her heated skin with his tongue, kissing and sucking until Regina was moaning.

Regina felt jittery nerves in her belly when his mouth found her nipple once again, but this time lingering, sucking with fervor.

In the back of Regina's head, however, something warned her there was something wrong. She quickly racked through her thoughts to find out what was amiss and then she remembered.

_The door_

She had not locked it.

Regina broke the delicious contact and said out of breath, drawing away from him; "The door-"

He claimed her mouth once more, capturing her lower lip with his teeth and Regina moaned.

"James-" his fingers, his hands were everywhere, it was getting harder and harder to concentrate, she broke free with one last string of self-control left. "I have forgotten to lock the door" she said whilst she quickly went to the door and locked it.

He was quickly behind her, pressing his hardened length against her and pushing her body to the door.

"Why worry so, Regina?" he asked between the kisses he was placing along her shoulders.

"Somebody might come in," she responded. "I don't think my lord husband would be too eager to do commerce with your father if he catches you-" she sighed when he bit a spot on her shoulder "-negotiating with me"

"Nonsense" James said firmly as he turned Regina around. She quickly went to work on the buttons of his shirt, removing the useless garb from his shoulders. "My castle, my rules." He grinned at her. "And my rules say I'll make you will scream my name until you-" Regina shut him up with a kiss.

This charming Prince was nice, more than nice, handsome and with an apparent delightful disregard for court rules, but he was also turning rather cocky about all this. Regina would just have to show him that the Queen was the most powerful piece in the chessboard and that the Prince was not even included.

Her mouth started making its way down his front, she never broke eye contact with him; daring him to look at what was she was doing. Her lips kissed past his impressive torso, licked his abs, they were firm and strong against her curious tongue. Finally when she reached her destination, Regina merely gave the very tip a lick, causing the Prince to hiss between clenched teeth.

She took one look at his hard length and smirked.

_Big boy._

She drew her tongue from the base of his impressive cock until the very end in a long, smooth stroke. When Regina got to the tip again she could not resist the urge and took everything she could manage into her mouth, sucking with fervor, the Prince moaned quite loudly.

Regina drew back and stood up looking at the Prince with lustful eyes, a small grin on the edge of her lips.

"Now-" Regina started, her hands snaking their way up his torso to tangle behind his neck "-show me what a dragon slaying Prince is capable of doing to a Queen."

His hands found their way to the back of her thighs but not before getting a good squeeze from her arse. His mouth returned to hers in a fiery kiss, teeth clattered and bites stung more than they should have but Regina was not complaining.

Regina was in that state of temporary happiness Jefferson had taught her how to reach long ago. A state where she felt pleasured and beautiful, cherished and wanted. Where she could take as much as she wanted and was willing to give all her body could offer. These were moments when she would rid her head of everything that plagued her, all the things that haunted her. This was a time for Regina to let her most hidden desires rush out of her. The Prince should count himself lucky they were going to rush out all over him.

When James tugged at her legs, she quickly wrapped both of them around his middle, as he lifted her with ease. James did not waste much time and started making his way towards the bed, their mouths still locked with each other in frenzy of kisses and laughter.

Regina had expected him to lay her on the bed, but instead he sat on the edge with Regina's legs still quite tangled about him. Regina broke the kiss and reached out for his erection that rested between their heated bodies.

She stroked his length unhurriedly, looking him deep in the eye and basking in his loud reactions to her touch. His grinning was almost constant, except when she would stroke him a little harder; then he would groan and bite her shoulder. His hands groped her naked arse as she continued the movement, occasionally grinding herself against him.

Regina was burning to feel that sweet friction herself, so she guided his tip to her welcoming and very wet opening. She lowered herself onto him slowly, he was quite big and even though Regina was as wet as she could get, his size made her walls sting in that good but painful sensation of being utterly and completely filled. When she managed to lower herself completely Regina had her eyes closed and a ragged moan escaped her lips.

She opened her eyes to look at the Prince who had a smug smirk on his lips, but the flush on his cheeks betrayed he was also very much affected by the whole exchange.

"I rather like this definition of taken," he said, his voice even lower than before.

Regina moved a little bit, adjusting herself to his size, and he released a small groan at her movements.

"I gather this is the best one there is," she spoke moving her hips a little bit more. This time her movements more certain even though she found herself being a little breathless, she had never taken someone this big before. The size of the Prince made her sting below, but Regina found, not to her utter surprise, that she actually enjoyed it.

Regina started rocking slowly and small whines of pleasure escaped her lips as the stinging became less intense and pleasure filled her core. Regina held onto the Prince's shoulders while his own arms held her middle steadying her as she moved building up a rhythm. The Prince was meeting her every move and had his eyes roaming her body, lingering down below where they were one as they moved according to her rocking.

The Prince brought the attention of his mouth to one of her breasts. His tongue flicked her nipple making Regina tighten her walls even more around his length. She started to arch her back at the sensation, her moments never ceasing as the intensity of his mouth on her increased.

Regina started lean back, her hands on his knees, the Prince's strong arms held her middle firmly as her body made a parallel line with the floor, his mouth tracing downwards in open-mouthed kisses. He tugged her back and she shot back up just in time for him to capture her lips in his once more.

His hands went down to grope Regina's ass as she picked up the pace. There was a memory of that sting she had felt earlier but Regina was far too engrossed in the feeling of their hot bodies against each other to truly care about it.

She was close, so close she could feel it, her nails dug into his shoulder blades as Regina let out a loud scream of ecstasy as she reached her peak. The Prince easily lifted her up rising from his seat at the bed, Regina's wobbly legs touched the ground for a minute before the Prince moved behind her. Regina's legs gave out and she found herself lying on her belly, her hips at the edge of the bed and her legs desperately trying to support her weight.

The Prince was quick to assist her; he took her hips in his hands and lifted her behind so it would meet his hungry sex. He entered her again and Regina's toes strained to reach the floor, she decided to wrap them around his torso, his hands moving to her thighs to keep them at his hips whilst he fucked her from behind.

His pace grew quicker and Regina drew her bottom lip between her teeth at the pleasurable sensation. It gave away to a smile at the thought of this wicked position that made him hit a pleasurable spot again and again.

The Prince was groaning and muttering 'Fuck Regina' and 'You're fucking gorgeous' and Regina could not help but moan, louder and louder. There were three extra hard thrusts before the Prince came, pulling out and emptying his contents on her back. Regina felt the warm seed pour on her skin and sighed contentedly.

_Why was I objecting to this trip, again? _

He still had his firm grip on her hips, Regina could hear his ragged breathing as well as she see from the corner of her eye that his eyes were still shut. She twitched her hips and the Prince caught the message and released her. Regina crawled up the bed in all fours, her limbs felt like jelly and her sex felt sore but satisfied. She could hear him groan at the sight of her as she made her lazy way towards the head of the bed.

She dropped her weight on her back on one side of the bed, soiled sheets being the last thing on her mind and looked at him. He had hungry eyes for her and quickly climbed into bed, lying down next to her. They remained a few minutes in silence, both of them evening out their heart beats, until the Prince spoke.

"And the King?" he asked

"What about the King?"

"Don't you two-?"

"God no!" Regina scoffed. "I am much grateful that his old age has taken over some of his physical abilities." They shared a hearty laugh, "Plus, I much prefer young, strong specimens such as yourself."

"Is that so?" he prompted, propping his head on his hand and looking at her long and hard.

He brought his free hand to study her body. His touch soft as it followed his gaze, it sent shivers through Regina's body and she was glad - _oh_ _so_ glad - that she had come on this trip after all.

His curious hand found her core and Regina opened her legs a little bit so he could explore her sex further.

He had a strong hand but his skin was rather smooth, which felt rather pleasant against her equally unspoiled flesh. Regina sighed as his fingers found their way inside her opening; it was still slick from her arousal. He twisted two fingers, hooking them, hitting an especially pleasurable spot and Regina arched her back at the delicious sensation that washed through her body. He withdrew his fingers only too quickly and before Regina could register what was happening he was in between her legs.

_This is going to be a long night…_

…

A long night indeed it had been, and for the remaining days of the trip to the Southern kingdom, Regina's indisposed health seemed to never leave her. It had kept her from attending to most of the royal appointments, she had to restrain herself to be locked inside her room for the majority of the time she spent in King George's kingdom.

Regina was lucky the Prince seemed to take a great interest in taking her extra blankets with skillfully hidden bottles of wine beneath them. They would spend the nights awake drinking and laughing, making fun of the customs and laws of etiquette they were both so annoyed by and yet had to follow to the letter.

Regina would occasionally let her mask slip; show her true colors as they discussed being forced into doing almost everything. She felt light, having somebody who understood a little of what she had been through; the Prince had told her he was not too eager in his prospects of wife his father had selected for him. He had stated they had all been either too stuck up or too sweet, none of them had an edge.

Most of their time, however, was spent _not talking_, but panting and moaning against the other's skin. The Prince was an exquisite lover; he had a big tool to play with and he sure knew how to use it. He had brought Regina many a screaming orgasm while her body was pressed to the various surfaces, from the comfort of his bed to the biting cold of the stone floor of her washroom. Even though his big length would leave her sore and sensitive she always yearned for more.

So Regina was rather sorry when the week came to an end and her and Leopold had to return to their kingdom, and thus a cold, empty bed every night.

Regina was well advanced in her magic training by now, and could - if she wanted - poof herself to James' rooms anytime she wanted. However, that involved actually telling the Prince of her magical powers which was something Regina was not willing to share with anybody, let alone a Prince.

Sure he had been pleasant and they had had a good laugh at the account of her husband and the meek ladies who went to his court, but she did not trust him with this information. She had trusted very few with it and she preferred to keep it that way. Especially since she knew that King George was going through difficult times and the last thing Regina needed was for him to start asking for favors that did not involve her mouth on his cock.

He had been the one to show, two weeks after their parting, claiming he was on his way north hunting and had injured his horse.

The blind, pathetic King had offered him shelter whilst his horse - which the Prince said he could not possibly hunt without - regained his full strength.

That night Leopold had requested her presence in his chambers and Regina groaned inwardly at her luck. She performed her spell letting her magical clone waltz it's way to the King's chambers whilst she made her own to the Prince's.

The Prince ended up staying for five long days in the castle. When his horse was more than healed - the stable hands had claimed the horse was fit to ride again on the second day but the Prince would not hear of it - he departed.

Six months passed and the Prince continued to make unexpected appearances, sometimes he would announce himself and take up a room at the castle and other times he would simply skip all of the royal pleasantries and sneak inside her rooms in the middle of the night. Regina found it amusing and delicious to wake up to the sound of him undressing at the foot of her bed, leaving his boots and weapons behind to tangle himself in her sheets. On those occasions, they never talked much at the beginning, he would slip underneath the covers and eat her sex with hunger or kiss her senseless pressing the biggest cock she had ever had against her belly.

Those were the best nights.

It had never been anything serious. Regina was unfortunately never in a position of liberty to simply go to him so his visits were most welcome but after the aching in her sex finally ceased she could not say she truly missed him. He was a rather good source of that temporary happiness she had gotten so skilled at getting.

...

_Present day_

"What?" Regina hissed narrowing her eyes.

"Prince James was killed your majesty," the young man told her, "he had just won a battle against the giant of Numb and was celebrating, when the beast, in its final breath, drew his spear through the Prince's middle," he detailed, "I was there."

Regina's eyes had gone wide with the man's tale.

_This cannot not be._

"I have been kept from coming sooner by my duties," he stated, "But as soon as I was able to get away I rode here to inform you, your majesty."

"And why haven't I been formally informed of this?" Regina's head was abuzz, James could not be dead, she would have known, his kingdom would have been in mourning; she would have been invited to a service of some kind, as it was customary.

"The King has locked himself inside his castle in his grief; he won't have anybody in, your majesty."

"Well, we will just see about that." Regina spat. "Leave."

She waved her hand, some gold coins appeared out of the think air and hit the man who crouched to pick them up, Regina sneered and banged the door in his face.

One more thing to add to her never-ending list of problems.

There was something sneaky about this business, about the King closing his doors on the event of the loss of his son; a King that Regina knew was bent on following at tradition. Something was off.

When she reopened the door to her chamber, her southern scout had long gone. She commanded the soldier who guarded the corridor to find Locksley and tell him to come to her at once.

She would go to the southern kingdom and see what was behind all this. After all, she was in charge right now and as a ruler she could come and go as she pleased. Everything had changed so much; not ten days ago, she was a prisoner in her own room, confined because of a mere statement she had made in a private diary.

She wanted to clear this odd story. The reason? Maybe because she was quite high on power and thought she had the right to do so, therefore she would. Maybe it was because during these past six months she had started nurturing feelings for the cocky prince. Started to think of him a friend. She had shown him probably the lightest part about her, the little that was left of it, her irony and her humor, her acid tongue which produced remarks that would steal roars of laughter from the Prince, his humor always keeping up.

She had not thought about the whole affair as anything romantic; true, they were lovers, but it had always been much more about the physical pleasure. The release each one was giving the other, anything other than sentimental. Regina could not bring herself to feel romantic inclinations towards _any_ man, let alone 'Prince Charming'. The mere thought of it made her laugh.

Plus he did not know her, not really; he knew a part of her, the less terrifying one. Regina doubted anybody could ever accept all of her and come to love her as she was; hot headed, murderous, mercurial, impulsive and half-insane with several voices haunting her head.

The Prince would have ran to the hills if he had ever caught a glimpse of the _true_ Regina.

There was a firm knock on the door and Regina knew only too well to whom that knock belonged, having had that hand work wonders on her body. She crossed the bedroom and swung open the door to find the thief on the other side, a smirk on his lips.

_So_ _infuriating_.

"Good morning, your majesty" he said, hands in his pockets, Regina huffed, turned on her heel and walked inside the room without so much as a word to him. He followed her inside, closing the door behind him.

"I do not see why it is a good morning," Regina groaned, not really looking at him as she went to retrieve a pair of earrings from her dresser.

"Well-" he replied, Regina could see through the mirror that he was leaning against one of the posts of her bed, arms crossed, smug smile still gracing those lips, "-if you have called me up here at this hour, I can safely say it will be a good morning for you once I've finished my job."

Regina had to laugh, such a cocky man he was. Although being fucked by the outlaw had become one of Regina's favorite activities, he was also to have other uses for her.

"I wouldn't get too excited if I were you," Regina quipped, whilst she secured the large emerald earing, she looked back at him and noticed the outline of his erection was visible through the fabric of his trousers. "Although such a request in the face of the savage kind of person I'm dealing with is clearly useless."

He frowned at her statement, uncrossing his arms. "What do you want me to do then?"

"I'm going to the southern kingdom of King George's, I want you to oversee the arrangements for the journey, select a few man fit for the ride-"

But Regina's orders were interrupted by the voice she had grown to loathe more and more with each passing day.

"Your majesty!" His face appeared again on the central mirror of her dresser.

"What is it?" Regina hissed turning to face the mirror, she could see the outlaw draw his back from the bedpost, frowning.

"I think you should see this-" the mirror said and his image faded away to show the view from one of the mirrors in the dark one's castle, more specifically one that faced his spinning wheel.

Rumple was there spinning his useless straw into gold, more gold than he could ever spend, more gold than he ever needed, Regina wondered – not for the first time – why he did it.

The girl, Belle, walked into the room and Rumple looked up startled to see her.

"Back so soon?" He said, trying to not sound surprised.

"Admit it; you're happy that I'm back." She beamed. She looked gleeful, hopeful.

_Just perfect_

The girl sat on a stool near the spinning wheel as Rumple replied; "I'm not unhappy." in a tone Regina had never heard; light and playful, devout of any malice.

The girl looked down at her hands, then looked at Rumple, gathering her courage as she told him, "I did not intend to come back," she said, her voice was low and timid.

"Then why have you?" Rumple scrunched his features.

The girl looked right inside Rumple's twisted eyes and slowly her face approached his. He seemed to be too shocked to move. When her mouth was mere inches from his he leaned closer and the gap between them was closed.

They kissed. It was a tender, tentative, close-mouthed kiss. Much to Regina's delight, his complexion started to change color, get even rosier. The girl drew back and smiled at him, a beautiful, truthful love filled smile, Rumple looked confused and dizzy, his skin changing color, Regina was about to burst.

"It's working!" the girl beamed, she held his face with her hands.

"What?" Rumple moaned, his hand making its way to his temple, "What's going on?"

"Every curse can be broken," she quoted, happily. "Kiss me again."

She leaned to give him another kiss, the human tone of flesh having almost completely returned to his features.

"What?" Rumple was regaining his green color and conscious.

"Who told you that?" His voice had grown angry.

"She said that if it was true love's kiss you'd be free from your curse!" the girl smiled at him, love, so much love filling her eyes.

"She?" Rumple was even angrier now "Who is '_she'_?"

He rose from his stool and looked straight at the mirror the genie was using to reflect the images, he stalked to it and pointed his finger towards the reflective surface.

"_You_!" he roared "This was you! You turned her against me!"

"What's going on?" the girl had risen from her seat and walked in his direction.

Rumple still had his glare fixed on Regina, she felt her cheeks burn, and her heart beat fast and hard in her chest. "You think you can make me weak?"

"Who are you talking to?" the girl insisted.

"The Queen-" he lifted his finger in that unnerving movement he always did "- your little friend, the Queen!"

"Yes!" Belle looked confused but still had a small smile playing on her lips, "She said, true love's kiss can break any curse and it worked." She started to walk towards him

Rumple quickly drew away from her as fast as he could.

"You have been working for her all along haven't you?" he roared back at her. "You never cared for me."

"No!" she insisted "It worked, it means it's true love, it means I lov-"

"It means nothing!" he screamed at her. "It means you were working for the Queen in order to defeat me! Of course."

"No, of course not! I just want to help you-" the girl begged, Regina could almost feel bad for her "-because I love-"

"DON'T SAY THAT!" he roared, his colorful power sparkling from his fingers as his fist hit the wooden table hard making a thunderous noise. "It's a lie," he said through clenched teeth.

The girl was brave and insisted closing the distance between them. "Why won't you believe me?"

He grabbed her by the biceps and shook her as he roared; "BECAUSE NO ONE COULD EVER LOVE ME!"

He pushed her back and the girl nearly fell, tripping over her own feet.

Tears started streaming from the girl's eyes "That's not true, you know it's not, otherwise the kiss would not have worked."

She cleared the tears from her cheeks; she dared to approach Rumple and stand in his personal space, facing him.

"Get out," he said through clenched teeth.

"You know I speak the truth," she replied her eyes narrowing.

"I never want to see your face again." Rumple looked at her with cold eyes, his voice gone low.

The girl was hurt by his words but stood her ground and said in a confident voice that surprised Regina. "You are just too scared to lose your powers."

She neared her face to his, their noses nearly touching.

"Coward."

She turned on her heels and ran out of the doors.

Rumple remained static, frozen on the spot as he watched the girl run away.

Regina had been holding her breath as she watched the scene play out, now everything was still and it looked like Rumple was not moving from that spot anytime soon. Only she was wrong; suddenly, he turned around and grabbed a golden candlestick, throwing it out the window, making an awful noise and a mess at the carpet. He faced the mirror once more - he knew Regina was watching - and slammed his foot on the reflective surface, breaking the glass and making the image of his distressed self disappear from Regina's mirror.

As the image died out, the hovering head reappeared on her mirror.

"Be gone!" Regina said instantly as she saw he was about to say something and his image disappeared.

_Well… that did not go according to plan._

However, that kiss confirmed something to Regina, something she had been secretly hoping was not true; the girl loved him, all of him, just as he was. A jealousy she did not want to feel invaded her chest.

"That was the Dark One, wasn't it?" the outlaw - who had come to stand a few feet away from her to watch the scene – inquired.

"Yes," Regina replied in a breath.

"Well, the girl does have some balls to kiss him like that," the outlaw pointed out, trying to ease the heavy atmosphere.

"That she does" Regina said still looking at her reflection in the mirror, "I will probably have to do something about that," she said quietly to herself.

There was a silence that was broken by the outlaw cleaning his throat.

"So, do you want me to-?"

"No." Regina cut him off. "I have changed my mind."

She turned to face him, "I will journey my own way."

Without so much as another word Regina poofed herself from her chambers and found herself in the warm, familiar chambers of Prince James, a journey that would have taken her at least a whole day, over in a second.

She took in her surroundings; the room looked exactly the same except the lack of one charming Prince. It was dimly lit but for a few rays of sun that managed to pass through the windows.

Regina walked around grabbing her long skirts.

She had opted for a seemly less regal outfit in her rushed spell to get dressed. The pitch-black sleeveless corset had served as a top, held her middle tight and covered her breasts nicely, giving them a good lift. It was embroidered with many kinds of precious stones starting with brilliant black at the brim, changing to greys in the middle and finishing at the top with stones which were lighter, transparent white. Her skirts, for once, were not tight but rather quite flowing and did not restrain her movements as the majority of her clothes did. Her hair was down and tossed to the side; Regina had not had the time to think about it.

Regina inspected the unmade bed and could not help but smile, James' crumpled nightshirt mixed between the sheets. Regina reached out for it. It was still warm!

That bed had been slept in during the night.

_He was alive._

Of course he was. The idea of him being dead was ridiculous, that boy must have been sent to her as a prank of some kind. Maybe James himself, it had been a month after all, maybe that was his way of telling her he was _dying_ to see her.

Regina tossed the shirt back on his bed and started heading for the door, resolute in finding him and giving him a piece of her mind for playing pranks on her.

She stopped midway on her path towards the door, eyes wide.

_And then what?_

What would happen after they barked teasing words at each other?

Regina knew the answer, but a strange, cold sensation filled her stomach at the thought of it. It was not anticipation, it was not good, it was…

The door leading to the hallway swung open snapping Regina out of her musings, Regina's head shot in its direction and her eyes found the man she had been looking for, his expression startled.

Regina smirked at his choice of garments – a towel, wrapped low about his hips.

He opened his mouth and closed it twice whilst Regina started at him, an eyebrow lifted, her head slightly tilted to the side.

Tired of his silence, Regina broke it. "So you think it's funny?"

"I - " was all the Prince was able to utter, his hair still wet, he looked _good_. But-

"Was it you or that unnerving father of yours who sent that boy to my castle?" Regina snapped, she was very rarely a patient woman and today was not one of those days.

The Prince blinked twice, still speechless, one hand firmly holding onto his towel, the other dangling about his side. His mouth was hanging slightly open and his eyes started to travel about her figure, marveling at the tight curves her corset enhanced.

Regina was not in the mood for games so with a wave for her hand she used her magic to bang the door shut. The Prince gave a small startled jump and looked back at the closed door.

"Oh-" Regina said in a light voice "-I think I forgot to mention about my magic." She laughed when his face turned back to hers, his eyes wide.

"Oops" she teased.

He continued to stare, getting on Regina's last nerve.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she shook her head "Never mind that. Tell me why you sent that scout with that ridiculous message to my castle."

She took several paces in his direction. "Did you want me confess to you that I was worried? That I _cared_?" Her expression was tight but her tone was light, she did care, she was worried, but she would be damned if she would ever confess to it.

"Were you?" he finally spoke, his voice was odd.

"Oh, it speaks!" She mused. "Did I care?" She pretended to think, "Well I never really believed it; your little prank did not work."

The Prince looked truly embarrassed and out of sorts when he murmured, "I'm sorry?"

"Ah James-" she huffed getting closer to him, she noticed he took two steps back "- if you wanted to see me, certainly you could have come up with a better message. Things are a far cry from what they once were dear, now that Leopold is gone."

"King Leopold?" he questioned.

"Yes! My_ dear_ late husband, who else?" Regina frowned, what was he trying to achieve with this?

"You're the Queen?" His eyes were wide.

"Has somebody knocked you over the head with a heavy instrument James?"

"I am-" he tried, he looked so out of sorts, so confused, it was endearing and irritating, and hot since his eyes raked her breasts, which were almost bursting from her corset with her every heavy breath. Again, it enticed her.

Regina stopped three mere feet from him and inspected his form. His skin was a little bit wet, a single hand still holding onto the towel whilst the other made its way to his hair, showcasing that strong bicep he had.

_I had forgotten how attractive he was, but something is not right._

Regina pushed the thought away.

"Never mind that." She sighed, "I'm here now, that's what you wanted, right?" she looked him dead in the eye and without a second to lose grabbed the towel and tore it from his body.

His reaction was the very last thing she expected him to do; he let out a surprised yelp and immediately covered his member with his hands, which drew a hearty laugh from Regina.

"What on earth is wrong with you, James?" she said with the smile from her laughs still on her lips. "It's nothing I have not seen before dear."

"You have?" he looked puzzled.

"What game is it that you are playing, James?" Regina started growing irritated once more "I would think you would remember you had that up my ass on more than one occasion."

"What?" he whispered, Regina could see his cheeks grow a shade of red and closed the space between their bodies and looked deep inside his eyes.

They were the same tone of light blue she remembered and yet were a completely different set altogether. Those eyes told her a different story, a story she had not seen reflected upon them all the numerous times she had looked upon them. They held kindness and fear and something else Regina had not seen in a very long time; innocence.

She jerked her body back a little bit at the revelation his eyes told her.

This was not James.

Although he looked just like him, it was not James, not by a long shot.

Regina's free hand – the other one still held his towel – went instinctively to the impostor's throat, choking him as she demanded through clenched teeth; "Who are you?"

His hands had decided to stop hiding his modesty to try and extract her hands from his throat. She quickly dropped one whilst the other clutched his cheeks, her eyes were wide.

"I know you are not the Prince." She whispered, dangerously low. "No need in pretending that you are. Tell me what this is about! Where is he?" Her voice had risen.

"Dead," he managed to say through her firm grip, she let go of his face immediately at the revelation and took two steps back.

"How?" it was a mere whisper.

"He was killed by an adversary he thought already dead while he celebrated the victory." The man who bore James' face explained in earnest.

"So the messenger was telling the truth -" Regina said more to herself. "Who are you then? Is that some sort of glamour spell?" her eyes snapped back at his.

"No." he said simply "I'm the Prince's twin brother."

Regina's eyes went wide, "Oh! That would explain a lot." she eyed him suspiciously, "If-" she lifted a single finger and took a dangerous step towards him, "-James had a twin brother." her hand was ready to find home in his neck once more for trying to deceive her but he spoke before had the chance to act.

"He never knew." The man spoke, his tone was so sincere that it made Regina hesitate. She opened her mouth but no reply came out, this situation was rather unsettling, he carried on, "I myself only learned the truth but a couple of days ago." He spoke most earnestly but stood there awkwardly, not a stitch of clothing covering his modesty, Regina could only guess he was not accustomed to the opposite sex seeing him in such a way.

"The truth?" she finally found her voice, but this time it was a bit lighter, she found herself believing him and wanting to know what had come to pass.

"Yes well-" he rotated his shoulders back one time and looked down at the towel, which was still being held on Regina's mighty grip.

She gave him back the towel upon instinct feeling odd about this whole exchange, somehow it did not seem right to look at him like that anymore, even though she had seen James naked time and time again. But this was not James, not by a long shot and he - whoever he was - did not want her to look at him. Regina was brought back for a moment to her first year of being married, of how she had felt on her wedding night, of how she had felt every night after that. No one deserved to feel that way.

"James was adopted by the King." he explained, "I remained with my family in our farm."

"If you were twins-" she tilted her head a little to the side, "Why didn't the King take you in as well?"

"That was not part of the deal." he said simply and Regina was intrigued by this young man.

"Deal? What deal?" she inquired.

"I probably should not have mentioned that." he grew a little pink and took a deep breath through his nose.

Regina knew this was none of her business but she was far too curious to let the subject go. Plus, she despised King George, anything that she could learn that could be used against him would be more than welcome.

"You can tell me," Regina tried and convince him, "Your brother trusted me _completely_." she lied.

"Were you close to my brother then?" he asked, his eyes gleamed with something different.

"I would say that was pretty obvious since I tore out your towel." Regina gave him, and added a small smirk.

_Let us see if this brother is easy to fool as well._

He gave her a nervous laugh, unlike anything James had ever produced, "My parents-" he started, "-had to make a deal with a foul creature."

_Deal_, _foul creature_ \- he must be talking about Rumpelstiltskin.

"They had nothing else to offer him when he came to collect." his brow creased as he told the tale, "The creature said that the debt would be erased if my mother gave one child away."

"And so she chose your brother? James?" Regina found herself asking, intrigued by this unlikely story.

He sighed and closed his eyes, "Yes,"

There was a moment of silence in which Regina regarded the young man with interest, she still found it rather impossible that someone who was the spitting image of James was so very little like him. Sure, he had the handsome jaw and the piercing blue eyes, but he did not navigate them as James once had, always in his favor, his lips always curling in a wicked grin.

When the silence grew awkward Regina cleaned her throat, thinking to herself what on earth was she still doing there, "So, do you like your new life as a royal?" she found herself asking.

"Meaning no offence your majesty," he replied, "But no."

Regina huffed and gave him, "Well, we have that in common."

When his eyes widened a little, Regina immediately regretted having said that. _What was she thinking?_

"What?" he half whispered, looking as if he had heard her wrong.

"What I meant to say-" she started, hoping to heavens she did not blush and thanking her lucky stars the room was dimly lit, "Your brother wasn't very keen in the formalities of court either."

"Oh," he looked down for a moment, then back at her and added with a sincerity that shocked her, "I wish I had known him."

It was at that moment that Regina's penny finally dropped; she breathed in a large gulp of breath and sighed.

_James was indeed dead._

And although they had not shared a large amount of tender sentiment, Regina could not help but feel saddened by the loss. Her face settled in a grave expression as she looked down at the floor.

To Regina's utter surprise, the young man broke the silence, "I'm sorry then -" he said simply and she looked up at his words, confused, he added,"- for your loss."

Those simple words had rended her completely speechless, the way he treated her was so different she felt dizzy. It was quite clear that he did not know of what had come to pass in her Kingdom over the last couple of weeks, he did not know what Queen Regina was willing to do, what the Evil Queen was capable of.

She found herself asking him in a rather cold manner, "What's your name?"

"David."

"Well David," she tossed his name, trying to sound indifferent, she had to get out of that place, "I trust you won't breathe a word of what just happened to anybody, is that clear?" her voice was low and dangerous.

"Yes, of cour-" but Regina had entangled herself far too much in this situation, so she commanded her magic to take her back to her bedchambers. She had to admit it was quite entertaining seeing him stop mid-sentence and gape as a cloud of purple smoke enveloped her frame and made her disappear.

Regina felt her head was going to explode.

_A twin brother?_

_Dead?_

A cold dread took residence on the pit of her stomach as she sat on the edge of her made bed, clutching her middle subconsciously, a frown wrinkling her forehead.

She had to laugh at the memory of the stunned twin brother when she pulled his towel. She should have known then that that was not James. But laughing made her head ache even more. Thinking of this twin, David, made her confused.

Regina needed a drink. Or maybe twenty…

…

_He was there in bed with her, doing what they did best together. He was on top of her thrusting his member inside her with force, making her feel that nice sting, that smug smirk on the corner of his lips as she cried out for more._

_He was alive._

_Of course, he was alive._

_Regina was glad he was alive._

_But out of the blue his face started to change, his eyes remained blue but the depths were not the same, they held something dark, evil. His hair grew a few shades darker and Regina watched in awe how his chin, his cheeks, his whole face morphed. The sting was gone, but it gave place to a zapping sensation she was sure was so much better than the previous feeling._

_That man, his touch was unmatched, it made her feel whole with very passing thrust driving her insane with desire. It felt so good, it felt too good._

_She felt whole-_

Regina woke up in the same clothes as she was wearing the day before, or partially so. She had managed to loosen her bindings on her tight corset during the night, after the sweet wine had made its way to her head, making her dizzy and sleepy.

She looked out of the window and noticed the sun shining bright outside.

_Had she slept the whole morning?_

When Regina moved from her spot on the bed she instantly felt a shiver at the memory of the previous night's dream.

_The thief._

The image of James was somehow morphed into the outlaw's and Regina did not feel like rationalizing much about it – she was actually afraid to do so – so she quickly rose from her bed and went for the door, grabbing the first robe she could find.

She did not want to think about the implications of dreaming so much about that man but she sure could have him make her dreams come true right now.

Regina poked her head outside her chambers and the guard almost fainted when she yelled; "You! Get Locksley in here immediately."

He turned to face her, bowing his head and replied.

"But your majesty-" he said gravely, "-Locksley left the Castle yesterday."


	10. Abducting Beauty

As that infuriating smoke dissipated, she was gone.

_Damn her_

When the messenger had come to inform Robin that the Queen wanted to see him in her chambers, he had to admit he had felt rather excited. He had woken up with his member painfully stiff, even though he had taken care of it the solo way, the idea of having another round with the Queen after such little time had him half hard by the time he got to her door. He had only been inside her sleeping chambers once - the night before, as a matter of fact - and on that occasion, he did remember having a very good time.

But there was no such luck for Robin this time around. Apart from getting the ice treatment, he also had to bear witness to a scene he did not quite understand. He was met with the image of the girl from yesterday; Robin flinched at the thought that the Queen had encouraged her to kiss that, _thing_. Rumpelstiltskin, one of the foulest creates he had ever had the displeasure of meeting. Robin had to admit that the girl did have some balls.

Robin had thought it odd that, after chatting with that peasant girl the day before, the Queen had ordered him to ride inside the carriage with her. Especially after she had set some sort of spell on his balls that made them sting just moments before.

_Damn that crazy woman_

Crazy indeed, for inside the carriage she revealed quite the tale to him. A tale of how that demonic head that pestered her mirrors had in fact been a real life person once. Not a person but a genie, Robin had been quite surprised to discover. A genie who her late husband had apparently set free – what an idiotic thing to do – and after that, also wished to give his last wish to the sordid genie himself. Robin had made up his mind then that the King had been a complete idiot.

But as the Queen retailed to him of how the genie had an inexplicable devotion to her, a lovesick obsession that she encouraged in order to get the genie to do her bidding, Robin felt his blood pump faster and hotter. He knew that _thing_ had feelings for the Queen, he was able to sense his clear jealousy when he had first interrupted their 'negotiations'.

He did not want to admit it, but he was pretty sure he was jealous of her. The very idea of the Queen with any other man brought a red-hot feeling to his hollow chest. He could not hold back, would not hold back, until he knew the extent of her 'encouragement' towards said genie.

"So your majesty had a little 'talk' with him like you did with me?" trying his very best to sound casual and uninterested.

Her face twisted in a disgusted expression "Not that it is any of your business but no, I have no such talks with individuals that abhor me."

"Ah your majesty-" Robin had said leaning back into his seat, relief invaded his chest "-I think I heard a compliment in there somewhere."

She gave a hearty laugh and kicked his knee hard with her high heeled boot, one he had had hooked on his back only hours ago, "Then I am pretty sure your ears are in need of cleaning thief."

She kicked him again when he did not show any reaction to neither her words nor her kicks "-and sit up straight you animal, this is not some dingy tent in the middle of the forest."

He did not move which made the Queen huff, there was a silence and Robin could see the Queen slump only an unnoticeable inch on her seat in front of him.

She sighed, looked tired and said in a different tone of voice, very small almost as if she was saying it to herself "After being married to the _benevolent_ King and having to lay with him, I have made it a rule that I will only let those who I _want _to touch me do so." She was looking down at her lap, staring at her opened palms that rested on the fabric of her skirts.

Robin had been stunned by her revelation;

_Who was she?_

This woman was a mystery to unravel. One minute a storm of violence and lust and another a creature that managed to steal…

_What was it?_

_No, it could not be… Compassion from him?_

_She was only 18 years of age when she first came here, already engaged to the King_, the distant voice of the old bear whispered in his ear.

She cleaned her throat and brought his attention back to her, Robin had not noticed but he had been staring at her palms, he brought his gaze back to hers.

"After he managed to do make himself useful-," she continued in her business like tone, all signs of vulnerability gone.

She then told him about the genie's desperate actions in wanting to be with her no matter what she felt towards him. Robin flinched inwardly when he heard the words of the wish, that man was truly crazy. But he ended up on the losing side of the wish and got himself trapped inside the mirror world, so he look upon her alright, but never truly have her. That had been the cruel twist of his own words.

"I had managed to keep him at bay from my bedroom mirror, but he found a way to converse with me yesterday and offered me a deal." Robin listened attentively, "He offered to assist looking for Snow White in exchange for a moment." her face was unreadable.

"A moment?" Robin inquired, "What kind of moment?"

Her face did not shift, only her right eyebrow raised whilst she spoke "He wants to watch me touch myself."

_Red_

The windows, the seats, the landscape outside, even the Queen's features took a shade of crimson as the words left her mouth. Robin's skin tingled and the empty space in his chest cringed. Robin felt his eyes widen and his teeth clench, his hands turning into fists with so much force he was sure his nails would leave angry red bites on his palms. He could not hold back his reaction and stood up abruptly in the carriage causing it to rock dangerously from side to side due to his sudden movement.

"Are you completely out of your mind?" the Queen roared, "Are you trying to get us both killed, you imbecile?"

Her loud words snapped him from his rage fit and he sat back down brusquely. His ears still buzzing from the overwhelming amount of feeling he had just experienced.

"Would it be so hard for you not to act like an animal all the time?" she asked annoyed at his behavior.

Robin could feel his whole body heated, from the tip of his toe to the last strand of his hair, he was furious.

_She could not possibly be considering actually going through with this deal, could she?_

_Would her loathing for Snow White make her slump so low?_

Why did he care so much what she did or did not do anyway? He lacked a heart he was not supposed to feel anything at all and yet with a mere set of words the Queen managed to make his head spin round.

"I have sealed a magical deal with him," she continued and Robin clenched his fists even harder if it was humanly possible, his mouth a thin line as he tried his very best not to show how infuriated this whole situation was making him feel.

"But-" she lifted a finger, a smirk adorned her lush red lips "- I have managed to make his words work in my favor once more." Robin took a deep breath and leaned forward to listen to her words, a headache had already worked its way on him as he tried very hard to understand why the Queen was smirking.

_Hadn't she just told him she despised the mirror, person, genie thing?_

"And I pray you tell me your majesty-" Robin started, rubbing his eyes with one hand "-why are you telling me all this?"

"Because the deal was for him to watch me-" she leaned closer to him "-but there were no restrictions whatsoever in regards to having another party involved."

For the first time in the whole carriage ride Robin managed to take a calmed breath, he finally understood what she was getting at.

She leaned back on her seat, crossed her legs, and finished with a raised eyebrow and an expression that spoke of pure malice "Care to help?"

That night he had gone to her room, he had knocked once as she had instructed him and from inside came her unparalleled voice that uttered 'You may come in'. He had entered her chamber and quickly secured the door closed. His gaze found her to the left where she was standing in front of a full-length mirror, inspecting her body, which was deprived of any kind of cloth.

The vision astounded him, hypnotized him, and made him utterly speechless. He stood by the door with his mouth hanging slightly opened and his eyes ravaging the sight of her. She acknowledged his presence but seemed very little disrupted by it as she continued to run her hands about her body, looking at herself in the reflective surface.

For a moment, Robin had thought she had already began the whole thing without him. But then reminded himself that she had protected that mirror in her bedroom against the intrusions of the genie.

She was pale, but unlike her stepdaughter, had a spice to her coloring. Her skin looked utterly smooth and absolutely untouched, as if she were some heavenly sight or a marble statue of a Goddess, too good to be true. She was still wearing her heavy make-up but her hair was completely down, he had noticed this before, it was rather long the heavy dark curls almost reached her hips.

She had taunted him obviously, asking him if he was just going to ogle her the entire course of the evening, a playful smile settled on her lips. She really seemed to be looking forward to making that man in the mirror suffer. Robin could see reason behind it since that very man had tried to forcibly tie himself to her regardless of how she felt about him.

She had told him to stand behind the dresser and wait for her signal – that being when she tossed her head back - to make his presence known. He watched her with hungry eyes as she sat down at the stool in front of the piece of furniture and only after sending a teasing grin at him started to play with herself.

That night when he had touched her, he had tasted her and he had taken her like no other time they had been together. Robin felt strangely at ease to actually caress her instead of grope, to kiss instead of bite, to give her slow passion filled thrusts instead of quick desperate pounds. She was incredibly responsive to his new approach - and although he tried to tell himself he was only doing it that way because of the whole farce and she, on her part, was only being so agreeable with this so the mirror would be truly driven over the edge - he had truly wanted to touch her differently.

Her sendoff felt like she had thrown a bucket of ice water down his pants – had he been wearing any that was. It infuriated Robin that she would treat him as if he was a disposable sex toy she could send off when she was done. He had promised himself he would never be such a thing and although the woman held his heart hostage, he would rather die than be treated as a mere object.

And so he taunted her, which he knew made her nerves red hot and that to some extent also aroused her. He kissed her, he had to, those lips continued to possess a magnetic energy that drew him in. They called to him. When her moist soft red lips met his the world exploded in a billion sensations.

But now, here he was, standing on the same spot where he had ravaged her mouth and tasted her cum mixed with his seed before she had tried to roast him for his insolence.

Robin felt divided, for one he did appreciate his time in this castle, the comfortable quarters, the easy food and obviously the gorgeous Queen he got to bang regularly. However, at the same time he felt trapped, being bossed around was not something he was used to and also definitely not something he liked. The idea of being at someone's disposal - even if that somebody drove him over the edge with ecstasy and was the best sex he had ever had - was not something Robin was willing to do.

_But how was he going to exteriorize this without having the Queen either roast him alive or crush his heart?_

At some level, Robin did have some desire to assist this Queen; she was, different from the other women he had encountered before. She was like no woman in the world, actually. The feelings she inspired in him, the way she looked, the way she acted and talked. She could be explosive and deranged at one moment and then playful and sassy in the very next second. Her feistiness might even sometimes remind him of…

_No_

Robin pushed away the beautiful memories of Marian smiling back at him; she had also been feisty and a bit temperamental always keeping him on his toes, just like the Queen. However, his Marian had also been loving, kind and so very generous, he had loved her so much his heart had felt like it was going to burst. And yet now, without it, he felt nothing whilst remembering their time together, not a single drop of regret for being responsible for her death but also not a single trace of the love he used to possess.

The same could not be said for the person who now claimed ownership on his damaged and darkened heart. Even when she was far, Robin could still feel the unique sensation only she had the power to ignite in him, a maddening mix of lust, frustration and anger. It was not one of the best feelings in the world, it did, however, diminish when she was away, but was never truly gone.

Robin refused to stay put in this cold stone prison. He did not want to be on call whenever the Queen decided she wanted to lash at him or have him fuck her - although he did not mind in the very least performing the latest.

He had been inside for the last week or so and had a need for the freshness of the wood, the thrill of a hunt that made him feel alive and free, if not only for a brief period of time.

He looked out of the huge balcony the Queen's bedchamber possessed. The Sun was shining bright outside, this the first day ever since he had gotten there that the yellow Star decided to make an appearance. The strong early afternoon rays hit the mirror of the Queen's dresser and the light reflected back on Robin's eyes that made him flinch and close them instantly.

Rubbing them and cursing in the process Robin took a few steps back into the shadows of the bedchamber before reopening his eyes and staring at the mirror.

A memory hit him.

He knew just the thing to do.

...

Robin was back in the forest, breathing the earthy air of the woods, listening to the musical sounds of the wild. His sight had been changed ever since he had last been so deep inside the woods of the Enchanted Forest. Ever since Marian had died, color had been drained from his reality, leaving him only with grey, black and white, unfeeling colors that only inspired pain and despair. Now Robin was granted to look upon the vibrant red tones of wild flowers, berries and birds. The canvas of his life had been changed by the Queen, he was pretty sure she had been the cause for the return of red to his sight, and more than that, he felt more alive now than he had felt in that entire year living alone, and that was something to say since he did not have his heart on him at the moment.

Stride after stride, pathetic uniform gone, royal crest abandoned in his vast cold chambers, with his old bow and quiver as his only companions Robin tracked the woods he knew like the back of his hand.

This was the road they had taken the day before, the road Robin knew led to the Dark One's castle. The road in which he knew that sooner or later he would happen upon an exasperated young lady running away from said Dark One. A young lady Robin remembered distinctly that the Queen wanted to 'take care of'. A young lady Robin had set his mind upon hunting down and capturing for the Queen.

_The reason?_

Robin was not quite sure of it himself.

A strong part of his mind told him that he needed the physical outlet of the hunt, he had done this his entire life, his body ached for the forest, ached for the thrill of the pursuit.

Another section thought of this as leverage. The Queen wanted this girl, if he captured her, she'd owe him a favor. Robin had quite a large number of creative ideas for the Queen to pay him back the favor.

Robin could also not ignore the fact that he owed it to the Queen for giving him the chance to have his revenge on the Sherriff of Nottingham. He had never hated somebody more than he did that man - perhaps in his early moments of despair he had hated himself more than he did the damned man - and come to think of it, his demise had been rather swift and merciful, the man deserved to suffer so much more than he had.

Regardless of the reason - Robin did not wish to ponder upon it too much, for there was the tiniest percentage of him that was doing this so he might see the Queen smile and laugh, like she did when he had crushed the Sheriff - Robin was out and breathing the free air of the forest.

He kept himself off the road, deciding to track amongst the trees nearest to the cleared space in order to catch the young woman by surprise.

It was in the second hour of his tracking that he heard an alien movement. Robin kept going as if he was not aware that there was something trailing behind him. When the distinct sound of a bow's rope being pulled back hit his ears Robin acted quickly throwing his body to the ground, just as the arrow flew in the air zapping past the space his head had occupied only a second ago.

The paces were not careful now and Robin could make out the sound of boots coming in contact with the dried leaves. He swiftly rolled to the right to hide behind a tree, bow on his grip, arrow in his fingers and ready to be shot as he aimed to the spot where the other arrow had originated from.

There stood a man, he was holding his bow but it was not readied, Robin had the obvious upper hand in the situation. He was a wee bit taller than Robin, his features might have been handsome if he was not so grim looking, his light brown hair was messed up and Robin could register a few leaves here and there inside the curly mess. He was wearing some manner of animal skin and rough leather as clothing.

"Give me one good reason not to shoot you in between the eyes" Robin grunted, thrilling electricity spread through his body. He was going to kill this man.

"Because if you do my friend will mangle you to death" the man said simply, he did not look scared or surprised at Robin's clear advantage and threat.

"I detect no friend whatsoever." Robin retorted, his eyes quickly scanned his surroundings and he saw no other man but the one he was pointing his arrow at, he pulled the string of his bow even more, ready to shoot, aim in place.

"You might want to lower your gaze, then you will understand I speak the truth." the man said calmly and as if on cue an animal growl sounded from his left.

Robin turned his face down to look upon the grey wolf that bared his sharp teeth to him. It was a sneaky creature, it stood only 10 paces from where he was and Robin's ears had not even registered the beast's movements.

"You think your pet scares me?" Robin said uncaring, because even though he was feeling rather intimidated by the beast there was no chance on earth that he would ever let it show.

"It should." the man responded, "You are either foolish or abnormally talented with that bow to think you can best the pair of us."

"I think we both know which option suits me best," Robin said, his lack of heart assisting him tremendously in keeping a straight face

"I have already harmed the one whom I intended to, so you can lower you bow for I serve as no threat to you." The man continued in his calm tone of voice, Robin was confused, had he not just shot an arrow that was meant for Robin's head?

"You can say that to the arrow you tried to put through my head." Robin was not letting go of his bow.

"That arrow was not meant for you. That arrow has already served its purpose." The man reasoned.

The man approached Robin with very slow but certain strides, his bow still in his hand. Robin was not one to easily trust strangers so he allowed the man to move but his arrow never left its target in between his eyes. He walked past Robin who turned around and was met was the image of a dead deer with one arrow sticking out of its neck, a perfect kill shot, not 20 paces from where he stood.

He must have dropped to the floor in the exact same moment as the deer and not heard the sound of the falling animal.

Robin lowered his bow.

"That arrow was meant for dinner, not you."

Robin was rather impressed at the man's skill, his aim was quite spot on, although he was pretty sure his own was still superior.

The man headed towards the deer, his pet wolf on his trail, and kneeled in front of the dead beast, bowed his head and started muttering something Robin could not really make out.

When he finished speaking, the wolf nuzzled his nose on the man's cheek and he spotted that he was crying. Robin could not resist but taunt this strange man.

"Just found out you killed a friend of your pet's for dinner?" Robin huffed.

"I uphold respect for the creatures that I kill." The man said in a serious tone, "They have sacrificed their lives so that me and my brother-" he gestured towards the wolf "-may live."

"Right-" Robin started, this man clearly did not uphold much sanity in his head, "So the wolf is your brother?"

"Blood of my blood." The man said resting the palm of his hand on the back of the animal.

"I'm guessing your parents have not broken up the news that one of you is clearly adopted."

What a deranged situation Robin found himself in, was it his fate to only come across crazy people? First, a murderous Queen, then a young maiden crazy enough to kiss the Dark One and now this, wolf boy?

"The wolves are my family." The man stood looking dead inside Robin's eyes, his own were a set of dark grey.

"I'm sure they are, I would not dare and contradict you, but-" Robin said as he stored his arrow back in his quiver "-as interesting as this conversation is, I must be on my way. Enjoy your-" Robin gestured to the dead animal laying on the ground with several circular movements of his hand, trying to come up with a better word but unable "-dinner."

...

After his encounter with wolf boy, Robin tracked the forest just beside the road for a few more hours and still there was no sign of the young woman. According to Robin's calculations, she should have passed this part of the woods by now even if she were on foot. Unless...

Unless she had stopped at the first town she could find in order to shelter herself for the night. It did make sense, and Robin cursed himself for not thinking of the possibility before. He turned his route towards the east, where he knew there was a small village, the nearest to the Dark one's castle.

The village was rather famous for being the only one that had been built by the unison of men and dwarfs. The town was the nearest civilized place close enough to the mines those little man worked in, one that provided them with ale after a long day's work dinging those precious stones Robin had once ached to have for himself.

He had never, however, neared that particular village before, his code of honor had prevented him from stealing from the fairies and dwarfs for he knew that the precious stones they turned into fairy dust were aimed to do good and help others, just like he had once done. But that man was long gone, buried six feet under along with Marian's lovely eyes and the helpless small body of his son, so he strode with purpose towards the village.

When the rooftops of the modest houses started to come into Robin's line of sight, he brought his hood to his head, hiding his face from any curious eyes - the very last thing he needed was to be recognized. The Sun was already starting to set when Robin reached the little town, the place was the spitting image of a peaceful trouble free haven. There were no black knights here, or any kind of knight or soldier for that matter, for this place was protected by fairy magic that secured its inhabitants and provided them with safety. That was common knowledge about the kingdoms, but what was not, was the extent of this magic and how it worked. Robin was actually quite surprised that no alarm had sounded upon him crossing the border that divided the village from the forest, thinking the thick fairy magic would be able to track the darkness in his heart.

_Ah_

_Then again_

_That wasn't on him now, was it?_

Robin strode about the village keeping his figure to the shadows, wanting to pass unnoticed as he searched for the familiar face of the doey-eyed young woman he was after. He counted himself lucky she had such a striking appearance, very difficult to miss her sparkly blue eyes or her odd accent, and if Robin was being completely sincere, she was quite a pretty little piece of arse.

The Sun had become a thin sheen line on the horizon when Robin was finally able to spot that damned girl, she still wore the same blue dress she had on in the mirror vision and the heavy light green cape she had worn the day before hung about her back. He was only able to catch a glimpse of the woman before she entered a tavern.

_Damn_

Robin followed her inside rather reluctantly. Taverns reminded him too much of the life he used to live, of the merry times he had with his oath brothers, of endless romantic escapades and of nights of ale and laughter. None of those things belonged in Robin's reality anymore, the sound of laughter irritated him to no end, when the knights back in the castle would roar with laughter over some idiotic thing Robin felt like snapping their necks. The only laughter he seemed to tolerate and even like belonged to the-

He shook his head and swung the door open. Slipping inside and choosing to sit in a solitary table in a dark corner of the tavern so he could watch the girl and make up a plan to abduct her.

He knew that the strong light magic of the fairies was able to detect troublemakers and thieves easily, and as soon as they put their plans into action that magic would alert the dwarfs who defended the town.

Robin gathered that abducting somebody against their will would qualify as trouble making indeed, and even thievery as well.

So how was he to take her if the second he laid his hands on her he would sure have seven dwarfs breathing down his neck?

A middle-aged woman approached his table and asked what it was that he would like to drink. She had tired eyes but a sincere smile, Robin dismissed her quickly without a second glance in her direction.

The young woman he was observing had ended her conversation with whom it seemed to be the innkeeper and sat alone on a table. Robin pondered upon simply approaching her, maybe befriending her and luring her away from the town line. But he couldn't. She would recognize him for certain, for when the Queen was kind enough to squeeze his balls tight with her magic the girl had turned back because of his wincing. She looked him right in the eye for a sufficient amount of time back then, and Robin was certain she would recognize him.

As if things could not get any more complicated, she was now conversing with a dwarf nonetheless.

_Damn_

It was really sounding like a hopeless plan when the doors to the inn swung open and a new patron appeared accompanied by.. ah - his little pet friend brother or whatever it was. The patrons immediately recoiled and reacted to the presence of the wild animal inside the tavern.

The owner, the one who had been talking to the girl, came forward and rather reluctantly addressed wolf boy in what seemed was his best shot of a valiant tone.

"I don't know where you come from boy-" the man was past his prime, maybe 50 or 60 years old, he could not tell, he was bald on the top of his head but some wisps of hair remained in the base, he had a large stomach which showcased his obvious love for ale. "-But we don't have wild beasts inside this tavern." his face had gone a soft tone of red.

Wolf boy replied in the same serious tone as before "We mean no harm to anybody, we simply seek shelter and-"

The round man interrupted him "You can stay boy, but the animal has to go. I can't even have him stay in the barn; he might slaughter every living thing there."

"I'm afraid we cannot be parted, I-" the weird man started again but by then Robin had a rather solid plan in mind and interrupted him once more.

"My friend!" Robin said coming from behind the man he had met earlier that day and putting his hand on his shoulder. "It's been long since I last saw you!" the man looked surprised but not at all startled by Robin's actions. Robin turned his attentions to the inn owner, "Do not worry, his pet is harmless, it was raised by humans, would not hurt a fly." he squeezed the man's shoulder.

The innkeeper still looked uncertain and asked "Are you certain?"

Robin was clearly learning the art of acting from the Queen and assured the man "On my honor my friend, no harm will come to anybody tonight in this inn."

The man looked a lot more relieved and gave Robin a tight smile "Alright then, but keep him near you at all times please, I do not want him scaring off my costumers."

"Never fret my friend, my old friend-" crap, Robin had no idea of how that man was called he had to think quickly, "-Graham will sit with me tonight at that corner."

The man gave Robin another thankful toothless smile, turned on his heel and returned to his original place near the bar. Robin's hand still gripped wolf boy's shoulder and he said in a hushed tone "Well then, come sit with me _friend_."

Robin led the man to his table and there they shared no ale nor warm words, as soon as the other man was sitting, he asked, "What do you want from me?"

"How very perceptive you are wolf boy-" Robin replied "-although now you have a proper name now, Graham, wasn't it?"

The man huffed and spit on the floor next to his feet.

"I did not ask for a name, nor for your help." he retorted.

"And yet, I just laid down my _very_ treasured honor for the sake of your pet brother." Robin reasoned.

"What do you want?" the man growled.

"I want you to cause a diversion, a little trouble so these thick skulled dwarves will be occupied." Robin explained in a conversational tone.

"I'm guessing you want me to cause trouble so you can steal from them." the wolf boy inquired, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"Not that it is any of your business but no, nothing of that kind actually" Robin put out "I'm stealing a young lady."

The man's eyes widened and Robin could really see how his grey pupils grew a shade darker.

"To what purpose would you do that?" the man asked, "Certainly you do not mean to-?"

But he never got to finish his question for Robin interrupted him with his reply.

"I would never force myself on a woman." Robin felt his blood boil, he might be a cold-blooded murderer who cared for no one but himself but having a woman against her will was something he would never do.

"You might say that now but I know your kind. When a man's urges come forth, he can do the unspeakable to satiate them" the wolfy huntsman replied in a grave tone.

"Rest assured that my urges are well taken care of-" he completed between clenched teeth, "-_wolf boy._"

"You also manage to take care of your urges yourself then?" the man inquired, seeming truly curious.

"What kind of question is that?" Robin was a bit taken aback, "Do you mean to tell me you've never-?"

The man did not let Robin complete, "No, I have never." he said in a serious tone.

"You cannot be serious" Robin chuckled, this is not the direction he wanted this conversation to tread

"But I am, I do not find humans appealing." he said in all truth, not a bit ashamed of his confession.

Robin's jaw dropped for a second and then he grinned and replied, "That's because you have not seen my-" Robin could not find the words to describe his relationship with the Queen, he could not say she was his master or boss, no way on earth for that, she was not 'his' anything. Lover perhaps, but not really if you truly pondered upon it, "-the woman I've been fucking." that was so poorly put Robin almost winced, "One look upon her and you would change your mind about 'humans' I assure you that."

"I sincerely doubt that." the man replied.

"Right." Robin breathed, this man was the weirdest thing he had ever come across so far, "Will you help me or not?"

...

Robin made sure that the young woman did not see whilst he followed her to her room. She was on the first floor of the inn, door nearest to the cranky and noisy wooden staircase, but Robin could work with that. She retired rather early, before 10 in the evening, and the tavern downstairs was still boasting with laughter, cheers and shouts. Man and dwarves alike were getting drunker by the minute and Robin smirked inwardly at his luck.

Wolf boy was still waiting downstairs by the same table in the company of his deadly pet, just waiting for Robin's signal. What a pathetic man. He had agreed to help Robin since - according to him - it was the honorable thing to do. After all Robin had indeed helped him with the innkeeper and he was now in his debt.

_Honor_

_What a pathetic waste of time_

But Robin rejoiced on the fact that the man kept his honor close to his heart since he got the assistance he needed, no golden coins or pointy daggers involved.

He went back to the table - which was still empty, devoid of ale cups or bottles - and met his new accomplice. They did not bother to keep appearances and pretend to be friends but instead fell into an uncomfortable silence until Robin spoke a good hour after having tracked the girl to her room.

"Go now," he did not turn to face him, choosing to stare ahead at the staircase, "Do it outside, there are plenty of filthy drunks for you to choose from."

"Aye." the man replied also not meeting Robin's eye, he stood and left the tavern discreetly, trying not to attract any attention to himself which was very hard to do since he did have a wolf on his trail.

Not a minute had passed and a sharp scream filled Robin's ears and he knew that that was his cue to act. With long strides that went about unnoticed by the crowd inside the tavern - their attention now focused on the on goings outside - Robin climbed the stairs and quickly found himself standing in front of the door to the girl's room.

Ever so carefully, Robin tried the knob to see if the girl had been stupid enough to leave the door unlocked. No such luck, not so stupid after all. But that was no matter for Robin, picking locks was on the long list of the many things he had learned to do as an outlaw. Getting down to his knees he extracted a hair pin - one that belonged to that hot mess of a Queen - from his pocket and went to work.

Soon the door swung open and Robin entered. The room was small and dingy, the girl was apparently sleeping on the bed, her back turned to him, covers concealing her body.

But Robin was no fool to be deceived by appearances.

He could see the rise and fall created by her breathing was not even nor slow, which showcased she was not asleep at all. She had probably been awakened by the ruckus downstairs and seen his attempt at opening the door. Robin imagined she thought she had the upper hand in this.

_Foolish girl_

He took two steps in her direction and grabbed a pebble he had stored in his pocket. The girl did not stir and Robin stepped on the floor three more times manufacturing the noise his steps sounded like, as if he was moving but he was doing no such thing. He then threw the pebble to the foot of the bed and watched unimpressed as the girl leaped from her lying position to try and through a big heavy book she had apparently been clutching underneath her covers all along.

Robin took this moment to grab her from behind; with one hand, he secured both her hands on her back as the other grabbed her throat. He yanked her from the bed so she stood with him; her back pressed to his torso, his voice was dangerous at her ear;

"Scream and you'll regret it girl."

"What do you want from me?" she asked in a small yet defiant voice

"Nothing really. The real question is, what I can get _for_ you."

"You seek gold then?" she asked trying to free her hands, foolish attempts for his grip was mighty on her wrists.

"Gold," Robin repeated with disdain, "I have no desire for gold-" his hold on her throat got stronger and the girl whimpered.

"Please, don't hurt me." she begged.

Robin was growing impatient with the girl's attitude and with one rash move; he pushed her onto the bed. She fell ungracefully on her stomach, her feet still touching the floor, his own had liberated her hands whilst he pushed her, she tried to straighten up so she could face him.

"Please don't do this-" she had actual tears in her eyes, "-kidnap me to sell me back to my father, but please don't touch-"

She was not able to finish her sentence for then Robin had already banged that heavy book she tried to defend herself with to the back of her head. Her presumption had made him quite angry. Why on the earth was everybody under the impression he was to rape this sodding girl?

True, she had her charms, was quite pretty. But nothing, could ever excuse forcing himself on a woman, if something of the old Robin had remained, it was the abhorrence towards that act. Plus, even if he had the urge, this young woman could never compare to the stormy, gorgeous and mouthwatering Queen Robin had back home.

_Wait-_

_Home?_

No, not home. In the castle. His mind was playing tricks in his head. Robin did not have a home. Home had been Sherwood Forest, but that was no more, Robin Hood was dead, what only remained were the shreds of his despair. Home had been Marian's belly growing and growing as Robin felt his heart clench in his chest with happiness.

_Now he had no heart at all and no Marian._

_Home was where the heart lies and his heart-_

_No, that was just a damned castle and nothing else._

Robin shook his head trying to clear off his mind from all those confusing contemplations. He looked down at the helpless girl who now laid knocked out on the bed and sighed. Turning her to face him, he hoisted her up and threw her limp body about his shoulder. She was not too heavy, which Robin was thankful for, a whole day of tracking around the forest had worn him off a bit.

Down the stairs he went and the pub was nearly empty by now - safe for one drunken man who had passed out and was sleeping soundly with his cheek resting upon the wooden surface of a table. Robin could hear the shouts coming from outside as the diversion he had ordered the wolf person to perform was coming to pass. He chose to exit through the back door though, just in case, for however impressive the mangling that wolf had managed to do; having a young woman passed out hanging around your shoulder was bound to draw a few eyes.

The back door thankfully led towards a path straight into the woods and Robin was soon out of the reach of the enchanted town and its unnerving small defenders. He pondered upon his options. It was late, he could either track the path back to the castle now and arrive there by sunrise, or he could rest for some hours and start making his way once the sun was up.

His legs protested and his vision was starting to get blurry and Robin knew which option he was going for. But before settling down, he searched for a handful of poppies - which were not very hard to find. He chose a spot by a large tree and set the girl down on the grass, he could not take his chances in falling asleep with the possibility of her waking up.

So with that thought in mind he tore a small piece of cloth from her dress and proceeded to rub the pollen from the poppy flower on in. He laid the fabric about the girl's nose and mouth and let her breathe in the drowsing substance. That would guarantee she did not wake before him, for the poppies had only had about an hour's effect on him, they would last for much longer on her fragile body.

Robin fell asleep soon after his back came in contact with the grass, his last thoughts being of the Queen.

...

The first rays of morning were sufficient to awaken Robin from his slumber. He could smell the unique scent of the forest and felt home, even though his back hurt from sleeping on the floor, and a few insects had feasted on his exposed flesh while he was dead to the world. He felt free.

_I have got to do this more often._

He turned to his side and was met with the sight of a still very much-passed out young woman with a piece of cloth on her face.

_Fantastic_

As Robin got to his feet, his stomach protested and he was reminded he had not had anything to eat in almost an entire day, his mission having completely distracted him from his basic needs.

After eating a single apple from a nearby tree – rather reluctantly for it reminded him too much of the one which stood in the gardens of the castle – Robin hoisted the girl back over his shoulder and made his way to the castle.

Although his journey was untroubled, Robin could not help but feel uneasy; after all carrying the girl limited his movements and made him rather vulnerable to attack. Had that arrow - shot by wolf boy - been shot this day he would be a dead body with a passed out woman laying on top of him.

Robin sighed in relief when he saw the castle, upon his arrival at the gates – which immediately opened to him – he handed the girl to the first guard he saw and told him to lock her up in one of the tower cells.

"Has the Queen returned yet from her journeys?" he asked the man who now had Belle over his shoulder.

"Journeys?" the man looked at him puzzled "For all I know the Queen has not left her chambers ever since she came back from the carriage trip the day before yesterday." He replied to Robin, all these men feared and respected him, so he could trust none of them would be crazy enough to lie.

Why, of course, she went away by magic, and Robin was pretty certain she was not giving reports of her whereabouts to anybody.

Out of the blue, a loud scream sounded from inside the castle followed by a blinding flash of light. Robin and the man covered their eyes to shield them from the bright but terrible light.

He did not need to think twice to know to whom that scream belonged to. The Queen, of course. It was always the Queen, who was screaming her head off like some mad person over one thing or another. Robin found this was the perfect moment to gloat about his conquests to her. She might try to incinerate him, but he sure could dodge pretty well.

Without giving the burdened guard a second glance, Robin made his hasty way to the Queen's chambers. Her screams had not ceased and the closer he got to his destination the more clearly he could make out her words.

When he had reached the corridor that led to the door to her chambers, her voice was clear as day whilst she screamed, "FIND HIM YOU IMBECILE!" her voice rang, she sounded as if she was choking on her own rage.

"I'm trying my best your majesty, but the forests do not hold much mirrors, I-" Robin could hear the voice that belonged to the mirror say. That man annoyed him to no end.

But who was the Queen looking for now? _'Him'_? Who was 'him'?

"Find a way! I do not CARE if you have to look into every single filthy pond in this entire forest!" she spat at the mirror, Robin's steps had become somewhat slower and more cautious, the Queen's rage having him rethink his original plan.

"Yes my Queen! But I-"

"BEGONE!" she shouted so loud Robin jumped a little bit in surprise; he was now a few feet away from her door which was ajar.

The Queen huffed and Robin could hear her pacing across the room, her heels clicking and clicking and her skirts flowing with her every step.

"When I find him-" Robin was by the door at this point, listening attentively to what she was complaining about "- Oooh, when I find him!" Robin heard the sound of something being shattered inside the room, probably another glass victim of the Queen "I shall, tie him up upside down and castrate him with my own bare hands!"

_Poor chap_

More pacing, more huffing and Robin had to wonder who the Queen was after so ardently. Surely he would know of such a hated enemy by now, he thought her most vicious rage was stored for Snow White but apparently not. This man, whoever he was, was indeed misfortunate.

"How dare he?" she continued, the sound of a fist making contact with a hard wooden surface reached his ears, "How dare he run away from me?"

_Oh crap_

She actually made a roaring sound before whispering "Oooh, when I find him… I'll crush his heart right before his eyes!"

_Shit_

_Fucking shit_

She was talking about him. She thought he had run away. She wanted to castrate _him._

_I'm so fucked_

Robin knew that the more time he took to reveal himself, the worst the blow would be and he refused to believe he was afraid of her – although, he was, very much so, she had magic and an army and those were quite fear infusive. So taking a deep breath he pushed the door open and the sight of the Queen almost made him shit his pants.

She was standing about 10 paces from the door; she was facing it – more specifically facing him - her back to the balcony, her stare could only be described as a death glare. Her eyes were impossibly dark, the dark paint in them smeared, giving him the impression that they were even bigger and much darker than they truly were. Her hair was up in one of her updos but she had clearly messed it up somehow for loose strands of black locks hung about her rage-filled face. She was wearing one of her usual tight black corseted tops and twisting the fabric of her long black skirt in both her hands.

For a few moments, the room was filled with dead silence, their gaze was locked and it felt as if neither of them was breathing.

"I was just talking about you." she said, her voice raspy and low, her eyes bore an evil glimmer that had never been sent his way by her, not even when he failed to kill the brat Snow White.

"You were?" Robin replied, trying to ease up the conversation, maybe calm her down so she would not skin him alive.

"Don't play coy with me outlaw." Her voice rose as she spoke again, "Do you have some sort of death wish?" She tilted her head to the side "Was that why you offered your heart to me and lingered?"

Robin did not respond, he did not know which way would be less harmful for him to respond so he opted for the silent option.

"ANSWER ME!" she roared, "Did you want me to kill you? Was that it?" She started walking up to him, "You wanted me to crush your heart so you could join your precious little wi-"

"DON'T," Robin instinctively screamed at the mere mention of his late wife, "Do not talk about my wife." Anger was now simmering on Robin's skin.

The Queen was slightly taken aback by his response but held her ground, she was now a few paces away from him, her fists still clenched on the fabric of her skirts, she whispered;

"Where the hell were you?" her eyes narrowed as she brought her head a bit closer to his, "Claude there-" she motioned to the left and Robin spotted for the first time a dead body lying on the ground. Indeed it was Claude, one of the man who stood guard of the Queen's chambers during the day "-was so kind to inform me that you left the castle right after leaving my chambers yesterday." Her tone was light which made it rather frightening, especially when she was talking about a dead body.

"I take it that you didn't take the news quite well." Robin tried, "I'm flattered you missed me all _that-_" he motioned to the body, "-much." Robin knew this was a dangerous path he was choosing, but if she was going to kill him he refused to go down groveling or beneath her.

Her upper lip curled in a snarl as she replied, "You are insufferable, I do not know why I have not killed you yet."

"Because I have actually brought back with me something of your interest." Robin threw in his last hopes in this statement.

It worked; the Queen looked puzzled and obviously interested.

"What do you speak of?" she finally invaded his personal space, the maniacal shine in her eyes was back.

"Follow me to the tower cell and you will find out, your majesty." Robin replied.

She did not want to be led anywhere, so the Queen stalked in front of him as they made their way to her high towered prisons.

Robin took this opportunity to gaze at her tightly corseted hips from behind and her arse which swayed from side to side with each of her irritated strikes. But her rage did not go well with the imagery in front of him, he was quite certain that the same way she could drive him insane with lust with her meaty thighs, she could also most probably strangle him with them.

He had changed, he had not been like this before, surely, the sins of the flesh had always been wonderful to revel in, he had always been an ardent lover, but this was something else entirely. The sensation he felt when he was with her was beyond words, but if there was one word to describe it, it was addictive, he could not stop wanting her, wanting that buzz between them that only grew stronger with time. So even now, as his life hung on her reaction to her new prisoner, he could not help but watch her ass swing. She drove him nuts. He longed to get her in all fours and...

"Well?" She snapped. Robin was drawn from his daytime fantasy by her poisonous tone. They were in front of the cell in which he had commanded the guard toss the young woman in. The Queen regarded him with an arched eyebrow.

He gave her a tight smirk, sometimes he had to wonder if he really wasn't afraid of her snapping his neck, before he passed her by and opened the door to the cell, he did not, however, give her the satisfaction of entering first and slipped inside the cell before her. He caught sight of the girl he had abducted, who was sitting on the bed, her head shot up as soon as he came in.

She quickly said, looking at him accusingly, "You!"

The Queen walked in, all her regal pompousness and arrogance on display, just as the girl had spoken. When her eyes registered the girl, a small smirk substituted the scold she had had on her lips.

"Well, well, what have we here?" she said.

"Your majesty!" The girl said seemingly relieved rising from the bed, "There has been an awful mistake; I have not done anything wrong. Why have I been brought here?"

"That's true." the Queen said, tapping her lips with her index finger, she seemed amused at the girl's distress, Robin couldn't have expected any different, "You have done something right and that's why you are here."

"I don't understand." she looked out of sorts.

"You see, you have done me a great favor." The Queen explained approaching the girl, "You have showed me that the dark one has a weakness." Her smile was malevolent and eager.

"No." The girl merely whispered, bringing her hand to rest upon her lips, face turned into a pool of incredulity.

The Queen let out a grave laugh, "Yes! You, silly girl!"

The girl gasped and Robin could see tears start to form inside her eyes, but the girl seemed resolute in not shedding them, she kept her head high.

"And now I'm going to keep you here under lock and key until the moment I can use you against him." The Queen continued in a malicious and excited tone.

"You tricked me!"

"I did no such thing!" the Queen pretended to be hurt by the girl's accusations placing a hand against her chest, "True love's kiss can break any curse. It's not my fault you fell in love with a coward who is too scared to let go of his powers." The Queen's voice was teasing the girl, "Or maybe he just doesn't love you all that much."

"So you're just going to keep me here forever?" The girl inquired in disbelief.

"Yes! I'm so glad you understand." The Queen said turning on her heel and heading towards the door, "Locksley." she said when she was already outside, Robin gave the girl one last look and followed the Queen outside locking the large wooden door of her cell when he was out.

The Queen had halted just outside the door and regarded him with a lifted eyebrow and an unreadable expression.

"Although this was not as pleasing as Snow's head on a platter, I must admit it was quite a useful capture." She said without a hint of emotion in her tone

"I think a thank you is in order your majesty," Robin said with a smirk

"Oh please, don't make me laugh!" She opened up a devious smile "Never, in a million years would I do such a thing."

"We will just see about that." He said, teasing her, he loved to do that, he loved to draw that very same reaction he was getting at this moment. Her eyes narrowed, the smile gone from her lips and she approached him taking two dangerous and certain steps in his direction.

"Why?" She said in a low whisper that would have had any other man shit his pants.

"Why what?" He met her words in a challenge.

"Why have you gone out of your way, all alone, into the woods to capture her?" she questioned him, her eyes narrow with suspicion, "I had not commanded to do anything of the sort."

"That's the thing, _your majesty_; I'm not really the 'commanded' sort." Robin replied not really answering her question, truth be told Robin was still not quite sure himself why he had done all this in the first place.

"Well you should start getting used to taking orders because that is what you will be doing for as long as I live and hold onto your heart." her eyes grew wide, her face nearing his even more.

"Then I guess I'll just have to kill you." he joked in a challenge nearing his face to hers, noses nearly bumping.

She laughed, and in doing so drew her head away "You couldn't even if you wanted to."

"What makes you think that I don't want to?" he said in a serious daring tone.

But he did not, he did not want to kill her.

_Maybe fuck her until she passed out, yes._

_But not kill her, not her-_

"What do you want Locksley?" she snapped back at him, her approach had changed again; it was quite tiring for Robin to keep up with her multiple personalities. Irritation now - and Robin could sense a bit of frustration beneath the facade - pouring out of her every pore, "There must be a reason why you captured that girl for me. What is it that you want from me?"

"I want so many things from you, your majesty, but I find it that voicing them would not be the gentlemanly thing to do. It might hurt your ladylike disposition."

She huffed "You're not funny."

Robin caught his lower lip between his teeth. This woman was infuriating and yet he took great pleasure in pushing all her buttons, trying her to very end of her patience, irritating her to the fullest.

It made him feel alive. It made him feel something. It seemed as if, when she was near and felt strong emotions towards him he was able to feel them too. It was an exquisite and odd feeling.

Her anger fuelled him.

Her body vibrated with hate and anger for him and he could feel the sentiment hit him square in the chest.

He had apparently succeeded in liquidating the little that was left of her tolerance because in the event of his lack of response she closed the distance between them - not in the good way - one of her hands grabbed onto his throat and squeezed. Robin found it funny how she would always opt to harming him with her own hands instead of simply using her magic and not getting her hands dirty. She was always so close, and the proximity was like fireworks on his skin.

"I'm going to ask you one last time-," she said through clenched teeth, her eyes burning into his "What do you want?"

There was a pause and Robin thought with care as he finally gave voice to his wishes.

"I want that infuriating mouth of yours sucking my cock and then I want you to swallow every last bit of my seed." He said loud and clear and could hear something fall and shatter inside the cell.

_I guess I did hurt somebody's ladylike disposition after all._

Her eyes grew wide. There was a deadly silence - that felt like a whole day to Robin - as he fished for her reaction but her face remained static.

She drew her hand swiftly away from his throat hissed, "Fine."

She was mad, staring daggers back at his eyes but the hand, which had just released his throat, was now on his belt along with the other one, undoing it. She pushed his trousers down freeing his member, he was already half hard, she pushed him so his back hit the door hard. Robin nearly stumbled on his own feet, his trousers limiting his movements, as he gawked at her with his mouth hanging slightly opened.

He was a little surprised by her choice of location, the top of the stairs that lead to a cell that was currently being occupied. Daring but enticing.

"Here?" he questioned, "You want to do this here?"

She smirked, "Why do you ask? You have a problem with that?"

"Well, there is somebody on the other side of the door for one."

"And what makes you think I don't want her to hear it?" she lifted both her eyebrows, "You were never considerate enough to ask me what _I_ want, but you men are all like that." She took his member in her hand and started to stroke him ever so slowly, her grip was firm and heavenly zaps of cracking energy were being sent to his now very hard erection with every thump.

"I want to make you _scream_," her mouth was a breath away from his, she squeezed him harder drawing a moan from Robin, "And I want _her_ to hear it. That's her punishment for not kissing that imp right."

Robin had to laugh, "And isn't being locked in a tower for the rest of her life enough punishment?"

She smirked at his comment and stroked him twisting the end of his cock; he hissed and she replied in an innocent tone, "I've told you people should start calling me the Evil Queen."

"For once I'm glad to be on the receiving end of your evil ways," Robin teased his mouth looming over hers, their breaths mingling, her hand steady on his erection.

"We will see about that," she whispered and caught his lower lip quickly in between her teeth and released, "Let's see what you are made of thief." She teased rising both her eyebrows. Her mouth nipped quickly at his throat and left a wet trail on his shirt, but not before she bit down quickly on his nipple through his shirt.

He hissed, _that felt_… _Remarkably and surprisingly good._

When the Queen finally knelt in front of him, Robin could not help but feel like the King of the world. A sensation that was quickly stolen from him when her wet hot mouth came in contact with the tip of his cock in an open-mouthed kiss that lasted a little more than a second. She might have been the one on her knees but she most definitely had him on the palm of her hand, or, as it was more fitting for the situation, on the tip of her tongue.

She did not, however, use her mouth on his hard member as he had hoped she would but instead started placing suckling kisses on the insides of his thighs, making her way up. She reached his groin and there she lingered watching for his every response, Robin felt like exploding. She sucked hard at a particular spot that made Robin's head dizzy and, before he could think, had his hand reaching for her hair, grabbing a fist full and urging her onto him more.

He could feel her smirk on his skin and _damn her_, at this moment she could command him to fucking tap dance in a floor full of needles and he would, happily.

She continued to lick her way around his nether parts, driving him absolutely crazy, her hands held onto his hips steadying him. Her mouth was suddenly on the base of his cock, her tongue a mere light touch on the sensitive skin and again, she took him by surprise. Instead of going up, her mouth made its way downwards and she took one ball into her mouth and sucked humming in pleasure.

Robin threw his head back - banging it at the door with force in the process, but he didn't care - at the overwhelming sensation of that _fucking_ Queen _fucking_ sucking his _fucking_ balls, was this even real? On very rare occasions a woman had ever-

_Fuck, fuck!_

One of her hands had come into the mix and wrapped around his cock. She stroked him lazily as she sucked down below, releasing on ball and capturing the other, her dainty fingers only touching lightly at the very tip, moistening them with his precum.

She released his ball with one pop of her mouth and chuckled at the strangled moan he freed. The Queen's hand left his erection so both her palms rested against the flesh of his hips whilst her tongue made it's torturously unhurried and light way from the base to the very tip of his cock.

He watched her fiercely, every contact her amazing mouth made with his heated flesh burned and soothed. Robin's mouth was releasing involuntary noises of absolute pleasure while the Queen started placing very light kisses along his length.

She looked thoroughly concentrated while pleasuring him but Robin could also sense she took great pleasure herself in doing what she was doing. She would give small hums, light moans of desire while tasting him, licking, and kissing all over his cock not a single inch of flesh was left untouched by her fervent mouth.

She then brought her attention to the tip, first nipping it very lightly making little zaps of electricity run through Robin's entire body. When she started to - FINALLY - suck his head Robin had to screw his eyes shut. He banged his head - again - against the wooden door when the tender suckling became more intense, the Queen having restrained herself to sucking only his head.

_Fucking tease_

A brutal and loud groan escaped his lips when she took his whole length inside her mouth, slowly and torturously as she did most of the things when it came to physical pleasure. Even though Robin's eyes were painfully closed, he was absolutely sure that that damned Queen was watching him like a hawk, reveling in the reactions she was drawing from him. She took him as much as she could muster and sucked with fervor once before releasing him altogether drawing a moan that was created out of ecstasy but that ended in frustration.

She hummed, "How are you copping outlaw?" drawing a long nail of her fingertip from dangerously close to his asshole, running it past his balls, up his length and placing a soft kiss on the tip, Robin hissed at the contact, his eyes now opened. "I can go softer if you can't handle everything I've got." she purred and rage mingled with uncontrollable lust simmered about his body but Robin was momentarily unable to respond.

She lifted one of those infuriatingly perfect eyebrows and started licking his length leisurely, taking her time and although her tongue could never feel anything but fantastic against his skin, he needed more. Plus he was most certainly not going to give her the satisfaction of thinking he could not 'handle' everything she could bring into the table.

Taking a deep breath he grabbed a fist full of her hair and pulled her face roughly away from his sex, she looked up at him with an expression of lust, hunger and amusement. He pulled her hair and she hissed in delight digging her long nails on his sides and closing her eyes for a second a small smile tugging her lips. He pulled a second time and a small whimper escaped her parted lips, her hands traveled to knead his bare arse, her grip as fierce as his.

_She liked it_

_The Regal, supernova Queen liked to have her fucking hair pulled._

_This was too good to be true_

Robin said in an audible tone, and although his voice was husky he was sure his words reached her ears as well as the ears of the meek young woman inside the cell, "Suck my fucking cock."

He looked her dead in the eye and she smirked, his grip did not loosen on her hair though, but instead he guided her head back to his length and the Queen FINALLY complied to his request.

She started to suck him with enthusiasm, she pumped him into her mouth in a steady and hot rhythm he started to meet with his own hips. Robin's groans mingled with her own moans as she began to suck him harder, pumping faster, hands glued to his backside and Robin was going to come apart at any second. Robin's fist met the wooden surface of the door behind him in a punch when she drew away for a second and softly bit the tip of his cock. It was only a moment for the next thing he could register her mouth enveloped his whole length once again and Robin saw stars.

"I'm gonna-" he tried but his orgasm prevented him from uttering any other word other than the loud scream of _FUCK_ he gave when he emptied himself inside her mouth.

He had his eyes screwed shut and could feel her mouth leave his length. He quickly opened his eyes to feast upon the sight of the Queen swallowing his seed. She had her gaze locked in his the whole time and after swallowing, gave him a malicious little grin. Then the evil bitch took his whole member inside her mouth again, sucking it. Since he had just come his cock was much more sensitive. The suckling sensation on his flesh was almost unbearable and Robin released a small whimper at the pressure. She freed him from the wonderful confines of her wet mouth as Robin tried to catch his breath when he realized he still had a death grip on her hair.

Without thinking, he pulled her up by her hair to which the Queen complied. Once on her feet she drew her thumb to the corner of her mouth to catch a bit of his seed that had escaped her heavenly swallow. She took that thumb inside her mouth and consumed the last bit of cum he had produced looking at him with heated and intense eyes. She leaned into the hand on her scalp and hummed.

"You never cease to amaze me Locksley." he pulled her hair again and she hissed her eyes growing wide with desire.

"You haven't seen nothing yet." and with that he spun her around banging her back against the door with a thud.

He pulled her hair again and she tilted her head as he ravaged her neck. He could not believe when he felt his member growing stiff again, so quickly after having had his release. It was now Robin's turn to suck, nip and tease her, his mouth was quick to make its way to the swell of her breasts. The corseted top pushed them up in a devilish manner and Robin wanted nothing more than to suck them until they were both covered with the red marks of his desire.

Whilst feasting upon her breasts - or what his mouth could reach of her breasts - Robin kicked off his pants and undergarments that had been restraining his movements. His hand left her hair to travel down and start pressuring her sex through the thick layer of her skirt's fabric. The Queen's nails were drawing frenzied patterns about his back - which sent shivers all through his body - her head was tilted back, eyes closed, hips meeting the movements of his hand.

Her hands became impatient and she brought them to his arse bringing his sex to meet the dense coat of fabric of her skirt and moaned whilst she grinded herself against him. Robin moaned against the flesh of her breasts and drew away - his member thoroughly hard by now - and grabbed the hem of her dress lifting the cloth up so his hands could feast on those succulent thighs. His searching hands reached their ultimate destination and Robin had to crack open a grin as he felt her bare flesh against his palm. She apparently did not own a single set of undergarments.

"I for one, I had no idea royals did not bother to wear undergarments." He ran his fingers about her slick folds - _fucking hell she was so wet_ \- and fiddled with her clit drawing a small moan from her lips, "And you _dare_ and call me savage?" He hissed whilst he twisted his thumb about her buddle making her twitch herself onto his hand, their mouths a breath away, she looked enraged and aroused.

_Perfect_

"You have no idea of what I'm capable of." She growled, eyes squinted, she bucked her hips towards his hand again and completed, "Now I want you to fuck me so hard that the prisoners in the dungeons will hear my screams and the girl on the other side of that door will be marred for life." Her mouth hovered about his and Robin felt the red color invade his reality once more due to the amount of desire he felt. That woman was driving him up a wall with wanton and her words... They _never_ disappointed.

"Careful what you wish for your majesty." he said quickly and lifted her skirts fully and in no time buried his stiff cock inside her cunt. She gave a strangled yelp at the haste and force of his actions but quickly grabbed his shoulders banging her head against the door.

He started to move inside her bringing both his hands to the back of her thighs and lifting her weight from the floor, pinning her against the door with force. Both her legs instantly wrapped around his middle as he continued to thrust inside her. Each pounding movement resulting in a harsh bang on the door he was trapping her against, with each push it became louder and tougher.

For all the fucks in the world, Robin had never had a woman like this - in this position, yes, several times actually - but he had never felt such overwhelming desire for a woman before.

The expectation of fucking or taking someone new had always brought a unique feeling in Robin, but that would subside as he got used to the woman in question. However, that was most definitely not the case with this one. It seemed that the more he took her the more he wanted her, his hunger for her was insatiable. The buzz between them burned and burned, and even hurt at times but Robin did not care. This woman, pinned against the fucking door moaning whilst the fucked her, was the peak of ecstasy.

He moved faster and the Queen started moaning louder and louder making good in her promise to let the whole castle aware of their activities. Robin groaned, bringing his head to her neck huffing his uneven breaths on her skin, unable to manage to do anything else but thrust rapidly and with vigor. Her grip on his shoulders grew even fiercer as he felt her walls clutch is cock and she released another one of those musical screams of pleasure, Robin quickly followed her, coming again with a _FUCK_ uttered against her flesh.

Robin kept his firm grip on her meaty arse while they both tried to catch their breaths. He still had himself buried inside her and found that he was always quite reluctant to pull from her, knowing that the electric connection would be broken and he would go back to feeling numb again. He had his forehead resting on her shoulder when she gave a small cough and he looked up.

She was looking at him with the most quizzical look upon her face, no longer angry, no longer horny, just plain confused. Her voice came out croaky because of all that screaming she had performed

"Don't ever do that again"

"Do what?' he asked, his voice a little croaky as well.

"Disappear." she said simply in a breath.

Her words hit him like an arrow in his nonexistent heart and he replied instinctively without even thinking about the weight of his words.

"I wouldn't dream of it."


	11. Royally Wet

**As always, thank you all for reading, reviewing, favoriting, messaging and following. Special thanks to Zoe because without her Red would not be! Enjoy!**

…

_Delirious._

Regina was absolutely delirious with pleasure.

She shut her eyes, tilting her head back as the incredible sensations ran across her entire body.

He licked her softly, almost gently and teased – and _damn him_, he was going to tease her into the brick of insanity - never really reaching her aching points. Regina ground her sex against his face, demanding he give her more, zaps of electricity flying from the tip of his tongue and everywhere else their skin met.

He answered by placing small bites around her entrance and then suddenly thrusting his tongue deep inside her. Regina gasped in surprise, the 'O' her mouth formed released a moan of pleasure as she started rocking herself against him, back and forth, riding his tongue, urging him to fuck her with it.

Her pleasure was shortly lived for after a few moments he drew his tongue away and Regina felt his lips twist into a smirk on her sensitive and slick flesh.

Regina groaned and lifted her sex from his face, supporting her weight on her knees, and looked down at what could be seen of the outlaw with flaming eyes.

That man was so insufferable; it drove Regina up a wall. He acted as if he was no servant of hers at all and which made Regina feel uneasy, powerless. Of course, she knew she had the upper hand in the situation; after all, his heart was in _her_ possession. But still he taunted her, still he defied her authority.

The thief managed to both anger and arouse Regina with his cocky grins and daring words. She could not deny she felt strongly for the man; she felt enraged by his attitudes, but they also enticed her, made her want to step up her game and get back at him. These situations making her want to knock him down with even worse remarks than he had given her, just so she knew she still had the upper hand.

Situations such as this, where he had come to her chambers to give her reports from the Eastern searching parties. He had barely managed to deliver one sentence regarding the searches before he stopped speaking all together, preferring to run his gaze about her body.

She had chosen to wear one of her most favored dresses - one she rarely used – which would always be paired with a bejeweled cape, for it was rather _revealing_ – even for Regina's standards. But Regina had been alone in her room so she felt no need to wear the heavy piece of cloth. The dress itself was a rather provocative red thing with the thinnest straps sustaining the tight corseted top, the cups that covered only half of her breasts were round and ornamented with precious stones and the skin in between her breasts was sinfully uncovered. It also had a very low cut back which exposed a lot of skin in that area. The dress' hem reached her feet but there was a rather high slit on the right side that ended in her mid-thigh.

Regina had grinned at his speechlessness and teased him about having seen something he liked. But to her surprise, he answered in his normal tone of voice sounding curious.

"That is very first dress I do not want to tear from your body the second I lay eyes on it." He had said in a conversational tone.

Regina huffed, unimpressed, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that as infuriatingly gorgeous as it already looks clinging to that fucking perfect body of yours, it would look much better if I had my cock up your cunt." He stated openly, closing the door of her bedchambers with a kick his foot not even bothering to turn around to do so, his eyes ravaging her.

She had not been able to hide her surprise; her gasp was uncalled for and drew a smirk from the damned man who dared to use such bold, bold words.

_How dare he?_

And yet, this was exactly what she wanted to hear coming from him, teasing words of challenge that had a compliment hidden somewhere. Not so hidden in this case.

"Isn't that a bit presumptuous of you outlaw?" he had started approaching her but still remained out of her personal space.

"I don't care if it's presumptuous, I know what I want, that's all." he threw her way.

_Ridiculous, ridiculous man_, so cocky Regina wanted to strangle him and yet-

"I have a better idea." Regina said closing the distance between them and his smirk turned into a smile. That smile was shortly lived for when Regina's hands made contact with the fabric of his shirt and pushed him back forcibly the outlaw lost his footing and started to fall.

Using her magic Regina created a large chaise lounge just on the spot where his body was tumbling toward and the meaty man she longed to devour fell on his back on the pillowed piece of furniture, a stunned look on his face worth every sour word he threw her way.

It was now his turn to look startled as Regina started at him helpless sprawled on the chaise on his back.

"The sight of you like that does bring me back satisfying memories you know." She commented looking at him, she neared the chaise and ran both her hands up his thighs whilst still standing, "Let's play a game, shall we?" she reached his sex and squeezed him through the fabric of his trousers; he was already starting to harden.

_Good boy_

The outlaw gave out a low groan and replied, "If the game involves that-" he gestured to her hand that had remained pressing against his member with a nod of his head "-I'm definitely playing!"

Regina moved her hands to the sides of his hips and crawled sensually on top of the man, straddling him at the waist.

"I was thinking more of a guessing game." She ground herself against him and his hands came to grab onto her hips, his grip was biting strong but Regina had to admit, she _loved_ it.

"What am I to guess?" he lifted one eyebrow, he groaned as she put more pressure on his sex, hoping to dry hump him into insanity, he continued "What orifice of yours I haven't taken yet? Because we can take care of that right-" she managed to shut his dirty mouth up with another mighty grind, substituting words with a low groan.

"No" she lowered her torso to his, nearing their mouths whilst saying, "I want you to guess which artefact of clothing I forgot to put on today,-" She widened her eyes and smiled completing "-with your mouth."

She was so close to him she could see the dimples on his face appear as he grinned, "I already have a wild guess-" he said while one of his hands travelled about her arse and he tried to sneak it inside the slit of her dress.

She laughed and slapped has hand away, "No, no-" she brought the slapping hand to his face tracing one dimple with her finger, "-I said you can only use your mouth thief."

Her finger found it's way to his lips and he immediately took the very tip in between his teeth, giving it a small nibble which made Regina hiss. It was followed by a light lick that sent shivers along her spine and made grind her sex more forcibly against his.

"I was never really good at playing by the rules, your majesty," he said after her finger had left his mouth, "As you remind me of ever so often, I am a thief." And with that he closed the distance between them, his sneaky hand having found its way to the back of her neck, he captured her lips in his in a wild kiss. Regina was surprised at his actions but only too eager to respond opening her mouth to him and letting him slip his fire blazing tongue inside her mouth.

Kissing that man felt like fireworks, the more they kissed, the more intense the electricity between them was. It took Regina's breath away, _he_ took her breath away, with every kiss, with every touch, _he_ drove her wild. But she would never give him the satisfaction of ever disclosing of _that_ information. And even though she knew she should not let him indulge in this kind of control over her, Regina never had the strength the fight his passionate kisses off, nor did she really want to.

"Thief indeed-" she purred after breaking the passionate exchange, "-stealing kisses from the Queen" she took his lower lip in between her teeth with a hum; freed it and completed "Careful, one day I'll have your head for your crimes."

"Ah your majesty, the only way you'll only have _my_ head is if it's still attached to my body and in between your thighs" he retorted instantly, Regina could not help but laugh, he had some nerve, and she hated and loved that about him.

"Speaking of which-" Regina ground herself against him one last time before she brought her hands to the sides of his head and crawled herself up, stopping just as her knees were next to his neck, she gathered her skirts in both hands, "Go find!" and with that she hid his head under her skirts.

Regina was on her knees but was not sitting on him, she felt him shift beneath her.

Two seconds later she felt one large sturdy calloused hand on her derriere as the elbow of the other arm supported his weight. He was then able to rise his mouth up and swipe his very smart tongue about her sensitive sex, which drew small involuntary whines of pleasure from Regina.

And so he had played along with her game, teasing, nipping and sucking her until Regina made the most embarrassing sounds. She saw colorful spots in front of her with the thrill of his tongue.

But now he had stopped, just as she was about to come, and even though she could not see, she could most certainly feel that insufferable smirk on her. She lifted her skirts to meet his gaze and sat on his chest – earing from him a loud surprised outlet of air - and was met with the very image of the intolerable grin in between her thighs.

"Did you have a stroke while you were grinning?" she gathered as much control as she could manage to sound superior.

"No, nothing of the sort-" his voice was a bit hoarse, that thick accent turned Regina on more than she liked to admit "I just seem to have found out what is missing from the royal garb."

"Oh, you have?" she gave him an arch of one of her perfect eyebrows

"Yes-" he started, still grinning "- although I find myself reluctant to inform you which garb you seem to be missing" she could feel one of his hands on her, on the surface of her thigh and then teasing at her clit whilst he continued to speak, "because for I can account for, this particular type of clothing has not touched your skin not only today but every day I put my hands up your-"

"Your majesty!"

Both their heads snapped at the direction of the mirror with an equal amount of fury. The hovering head that inhabited it seemed to look uncomfortable with the sight that met his eyes. Now that he was bound by magic to inform Regina of her enemies' whereabouts he could no longer control when or where his image would appear to her.

Regina straightened her posture on the thief's chest with a huff, her juices along with his saliva making a mess on his shirt. The man beneath her groaned, removing his teasing finger from her and muttering "Fucking hell..."

"Ah mirror, this better be good." she groaned, closing her eyes in order to calm down, twisting her neck to the side, it gave a good snap.

"I can assure you it is, since I have found the location of Snow White." he informed her, she could hear the smug smile on his voice.

"WHAT?" her eyes shot opened instanly and an overwhelming feeling invaded Regina's chest.

Beforeshe knew what she was doing, Regina was getting up in the most unladylike manner known to men and in the process knocking the thief off the chaise. She did not, however, give him a second glance as she headed to face the mirror whilst fixing her dress.

"Show me!" she demanded, the mirror had a victorious look on his face as if he was winning her attentions from the thief - it was sickening and Regina could not have that - but at that very moment she had more important things to think about, as in the many ways she could kill Snow White.

The face of the genie disappeared to give place to the image of a ball, a _royal_ ball nonetheless and there she was, Snow White. She was chatting to another young woman enthusiastically about something. Regina's eyes narrowed at the sight, rage bubbled from her very core.

Regina was hunting her down with every resource she had and the girl was in a ball chitchatting about boys with this red head!?

"I don't know Snow, he-" the red haired young woman started "-he wants to take me with him. But-" the girl looked down at her palms "-you know I _can't_.."

"Nonsense" Snow grabbed the girl's hands in her own "Talk to him. Tell him the truth; if he truly loves you he won't care Ariel!"

"I can't tell him that I'm really a mermaid Snow! Ursula's gift will only last for so long-" the girl reasoned "-how can we be together when there's a fin between us?"

"You'll _find_ a way Ariel, you both will." Snow smiled that excruciatingly annoying smile of hers "But you have to be honest with him, you cannot build anything with him based on a lie."

Regina noticed the dresses they wore were a far cry from what she was used to seeing in her kingdom and the ones that surrounded it. Snow had travelled far, she was by the sea, if Regina was not mistaken, this was the kingdom farthest east in the Enchanted Forest. How had she managed to get _there_?

Regina also noticed with satisfaction that Snow's dress exposed her left shoulder which housed an ugly pink scar, dotted with purples, yellows and greens about it.

_That must have been the Outlaw's handy work_

_Speaking of which…_

She turned around to face said outlaw. He was no longer on the floor where she had discarded of him but standing a few feet behind her. He regarded her with a rather irritated look on his face, his jaw was tight and his hands clasped on his back.

"Go get me Rickon and his second, I want them here at once." she snapped at him.

The outlaw huffed but did not say anything else; he bowed to her in an unnecessarily exaggerated way and headed for the door. Regina could have sworn she heard him mutter, "That woman is going to be the death of me" when he reached the corridor but she could not be sure.

Grinning nonetheless, she turned her attentions back to the mirror where the two young women still conversed.

So, Snow had befriended a mermaid. Maybe Regina could use her newfound friend to get to Snow, show her that no matter how many friends she tried to collect Regina would always make them suffer because of their association with her. In no time nobody would want to aid her, nobody would want to shelter her from Regina's wrath.

Sooner or later, Regina would have her long awaited revenge.

Looking at Snow's pale complexion again Regina could also spot there was a rather thin but long line on her face, another scar, this one adorned her right cheek. She was glad the girl did not emerge from the fight with the outlaw unharmed. Although it had been only three weeks since the encounter, how had she healed so fast?

This smelled like fairy work to her and Regina did not like it on the least. She would turn that unnerving _Blue_ purple if she ever had the chance.

Her hotheaded bandit reentered her chamber, still with a distasteful look on his face, accompanied by Rickon and his second companion, Ivan; both captains looked uneasy and as well as they should. They were in charge of the eastern parties and Snow's whereabouts should not have escaped them, especially since the girl was treating herself to going to royal balls for crying aloud.

The outlaw lingered behind as both men approached Regina with uncertainty and bowed respectfully keeping their heads down.

"Care to explain to me how Snow White is treating herself to parties on the eastern kingdom while your men should be looking for her there?" she raised a perfect eyebrow, her cheeks had been flushed a few minutes ago but now her face was a white mask of distaste.

"Your majesty, we did pursue her there, me and Ralph." Rickon explained, "It's all in the report." he looked back at the outlaw who did not even bother to meet the man's eye; his gaze was fixed on the image the mirror still played of Snow and her mermaid friend.

"I could not give a damn about a pile of report papers Rickon!" Regina bellowed, she felt like her eyes were going to pop out of her skull, "If you did pursue her, why isn't she in shackles kneeling before me?"

"Yes, we did pursue her to a hill top; she ended up running into a dead end. There was nowhere for her to escape, she was to either come with us or jump from the high cliff into the treacherous sea waters." The man explained in a pitiful tone of submission.

"And let me guess-" Regina started, she was way too nervous be playing this sort of guessing game "-she jumped?"

"She did." Rickon said, "We saw her sink deep and it took a great numbers of minutes for her to emerge again, that-" he pointed at Ariel's image on the mirror "-that woman brought the body to the surface, the red haired one." Rickon gesticulated with his hands trying to explain "But she looked dead your majesty, the girl's body looked dead." He explained, "She was pale as death, your majesty"

"Her sodding name is SNOW WHITE you idiot, what did you expect?" Regina screamed at the man taking two dangerous steps in his direction which made him cringe in fear.

She took a deep breath closing her eyes, trying to rail in her anger, "So you did not even bother to follow the mermaid?" Regina hissed dangerously, she opened her eyes. There was so much anger now bubbling inside her, that idiot had had Snow so close to his reach; Regina felt her head burst with a pounding headache.

"But she looked dead your majesty." Rickon tried to defend himself

"No-" Regina said making up her mind as to how to show her men failure was not an option, her hands simmered with magic and a bow and arrow appeared in the outlaw's grasp, he looked confused "Dead looks more like this-" she could see the outlaw got her message and readied the arrow in the bow "Locksley?"

The arrow flew so fast it even startled her, in less than a second Rickon had an arrow buried on his neck, it hit him in the jugular killing instantly. His limp body dropped helplessly to the floor as the other guard looked upon Regina with utmost fear. Regina regarded the dead body with disdain and looked up to meet Ivan's fear filled eyes.

"Congratulations Ivan, you are now the captain of the east party. I trust your men won't fail me again."

"No your majesty, never" the man stuttered, "Should I send more man after Snow White then?" he asked in a tentative tone, trying to please Regina.

_Fool_

"No" Regina responded, "It looks like I'm going to have to be the one to go after her after all."

...

If the mermaid was as gullible as her eyes and smile had betrayed her to be when Regina first saw her through the mirror, this all should be pretty easy.

The plan was rather simple, deceive the mermaid and make her think that she was Ursula, looking out only to help her unfortunate soul. Then have the mermaid seal her dear friend's doom imprisoning Snow in her own fin; Snow would be helpless to escape Regina then.

Regina had delighted herself in disguising herself as the sea witch who had not been spotted for thousands of years. The witch was most certainly a myth, but tonight Regina would make her real. She changed her hair color to white and her skin grew a few shades lighter, a tone next to a soft lilac. It was then that the outlaw had entered her room – no knocking, no permissions asked - and tried to hold back a laugh at her camouflage.

"Something funny?" she asked annoyed already by his presence.

"Oh no." he replied having the nerve to sit on her bed. "It's just I think you might be coming down with something your majesty" his cheeks were turning a soft shade of red showing he was holding back the laughter meant for her cover.

"UH! You are insupportable!" she used her magic to make his body fall back on the bed, ropes appeared out of thin air and to bind the outlaw's wrists to both the posts on her bed.

She continued turning around to face him, "You are so lucky you are a good fuck thief-" she took several more steps in his direction, she stood in between his legs that dangled from the edge of the bed and continued, "-otherwise I would have killed you long ago."

He did not look surprised or offended by her words, quite in the contrary, his expression was self-satisfied as he replied, "Well, it's a good thing I'm fucking you properly then."

With a wave of her hand, she made the ropes tighten on his wrists, made them pull on his arms stretching them. His expression changed into a pained one but he refused to let out one sound of agony.

"Don't push your luck thief." Regina hissed.

She watched amused as he clenched his teeth, it took him a few moments but he retorted her comment smugly, "The only thing I will be pushing is my cock up your arse."

Regina's skin tone had gone from soft lilac to light red as she reacted to his comment, rage and lust filled her. The outlaw was unfortunate that the winning side, for the very first time, was anger. She waved her hands and the man was engulfed in purple smoke and just as he disappeared Regina could hear the distinctive sound of a body being dropped in water coming out her window. She knew he still took nightly baths in that sordid river, so she figured he could use a daytime washing as well.

A satisfied smile filled Regina's lips at the thought of him being dropped inside the cool water fully clothed.

_Insolent animal_

_It would serve him right_

But then her smile turned a tad malicious at the thought of him taking her other entrance, the one she had not allowed him to explore, _yet_.

…

It was almost laughable how easy it had been to fool the little mermaid. It seemed that all you had to do to win these young women's trust these days was to promise them a happy ending and a chance at true love.

_Gullible pathetic lot. _

They never thought of consequences. The girl was quite willing to condemn Snow to a life under the sea, not thinking that maybe, this would not be the best option for her dear, dear _friend_.

But Regina could not care less.

Now the sun rose on the horizon, darkness giving into daylight little by little. The weak rays of the rising Sun played on the surface of the water, using the rippled surface as a canvas to its multi colored effects. The view was beautiful, breath taking really, but Regina only had eyes for one single thing.

The dark haired young woman who stood at the deck wearing the most atrocious set of clothing Regina had ever laid eyes on. The mere sight of Snow made Regina's blood boil. She looked very different, not only because of her clothing, but also her manner, it had changed completely. No longer was she the delicate flower Regina had practically been forced to raise. Snow now stood tall, head held high, jaw tight in what seemed to be apprehension for being out in the open, face devoid of any make up, tangled long black hair. She also now sported an unattractive scar on her cheek to match her new hideous garments, but her infuriating spirit of hope and positivity never seemed to leave.

_Not for long_

The red haired girl came into view; she was clutching the bracelet on her right hand. Regina watched from afar with anticipation building up on the pit of her stomach as she placed the accessory on Snow's wrist.

Regina's cheeks hurt from the malicious smile she could not hold back as she watched Snow loose her balance due to her new set of.. well, her fin, green and filled with scales. She had to admit she had not in her craziest fantasies about killing the girl, pictured it coming to pass like this.

Snow looked horrified and Regina found there her cue to make her presence known to the two naive young women. She decided to make a grand entrance via purple smoke and with a flicker of her wrist; she appeared right in front of her helpless now half fish stepdaughter.

"My, my! Look at the catch of the day!" Regina beamed, joy was almost bursting through her chest, she vowed to enjoy this as much as she could.

Snow looked up at her with her annoyingly big green eyes, her fin moved a little and she mouthed "Regina" in defeat.

"Ursula!" Ariel called her attention; she turned to face the red hair "Oh Ursula thank you so much! Your bracelet worked, now I can go on and meet Eric and-"

"Oh Ariel" Snow interrupted the once mermaid, "This is not Ursula" she looked back at Regina "This is the _Evil_ Queen, Regina, the one I told you was out for my blood."

"What?" Ariel looked perplexed and confused, a frown adorning her forehead she looked from Snow to Regina "But she helped me. She gave me legs!" the look on her face was quite funny, she was genuinely trying to hold on to the foolish belief that Regina was indeed Ursula.

_Poor unfortunate soul_

"Yes I did." Regina addressed the young woman, "So show some gratitude and get the hell out of my sight!"

Regina waved her hands dismissively, shooing the former mermaid away, "Go meet your prince, be happy or whatever it is that you young women seem to crave so much for nowadays." she turned her gaze back to Snow, "Me and my lovely step daughter here have some unfinished business to attend to."

Without another glance toward the red haired young woman, Regina used her magic to lift Snow's heavy fin burdened body from the ground.

"I can't let you do this to her!" Ariel defied Regina who was starting to get rather annoyed by her presence.

"I'm not going to tell you a second time, _mermaid_" Regina made sure to deliver every single syllable of 'mermaid' as to remind the young woman of who she really was, "I gave you those legs and I can very well take them away from you!" Regina did not spare the girl a single glance, her eyes fixed on Snow, helpless and without hope.

"But she's my friend; I can't walk away from her now, especially since I know you're going to kill her!" the girl stood her ground.

"Oh really?" Regina looked back at her, "And what are you going to do about it, hun? Sing me a song to try and persuade me I should let her live?" Regina laughed, "Spare me your heroism fish. Go now and meet your prince, live your dream but most importantly, get the hell out of this deck."

The girl looked down at her own hands; she was fidgeting with her fingers and biting her lower lip. She looked at Regina with pleading eyes - and Regina was more than ready to make smoked salmon out of this girl if she uttered another word that displeased her - but then she looked apologetically at Snow and finally said in a tearful tone, "I'm so sorry Snow"

Snow had the nerve to reply, "It's alright Ariel. You're getting a chance at happiness and true love and that's something the Queen-" Snow turned her gaze to Regina "-will never have."

_Red_

Regina's world became an entire reality of crimson when Snow's words reached her ears. A loud stinging and high-pitched sound deafened her ears as Regina started daggers back at Snow who had the nerve to look content, like she was being some sort of a martyr.

Snow's words filled Regina with such rage, she could hardly make out the once mermaid walking away from them towards the island. All her concentration now lay in the spell she was using to strangle the life out of that brat.

_HOW DARE SHE?_

How dare she say those words? She knew fully well it was her fault alone and no one else's that Regina's life had turned out this way. _SHE_ had crushed Regina's chance at happiness and true love to pieces and now Regina was going to squeeze the life out of her body if it was the very last thing she did.

Regina's vision was red as blood, the rage simmered along her skin. A sick kind of fulfillment and contentment filled her chest as she saw the color leave Snow's already pale complexion. A wide smile spread itself on Regina's lips; her heart was fluttering with excitement, beating erratically on her chest.

_Finally_

_Finally the brat was going to pay_

Just a little bit more and the life would leave the girl's body forever and Regina's need for revenge would be sated, Daniel's death finally avenged. She had waited far too long for this moment; her eyes grew impossibly large with satisfaction.

Regina's senses were numbed.

The mermaid had come back and was standing directly behind her. Unfortunately, Regina only took notice of this when it was too late.

The whole scene must have lasted seconds, but Regina could see it playing out in front of her eyes in slow motion. How Ariel had come back and was clutching what looked to be a fork on her right hand, aiming it towards Regina's neck. How a second later the girl's expression changed from rage to pain to desperation as the sound of a stinging shot hitting its target reached Regina's ears. How the girl halted her moves and released a pained noise, dropping her fork. How simultaneously Regina and Ariel looked down at the girl's middle to find a single arrow sticking out of her belly, its point crimson with blood. And how in between all those things Regina's attention had diverged from Snow making her spell come to an end. Finally how Regina only realized her spell was no more after hearing the noise of something quite heavy being dropped into the water.

_NO!_

Regina looked back at where mermaid Snow had been hoisted by her magic. Now she could find no stepdaughter whatsoever but only white foam on the surface of the water. Regina caught a faint glimpse of a green tail inside the water, going under and under.

"NO!" Regina screamed, she turned back abruptly to the fatally wounded red hair and pointed an accusing finger in her direction, "YOU! _You did this_! You foolish girl!" the girl had dropped to her knees and had her hands about the arrow sticking out of the flesh of her stomach.

"She didn't deserve to die," she said weakly not making eye contact with Regina, looking as the blood started to spill more and more out of her wound.

"That is NOT up to you to decide!" Regina roared, not touched in the very least by the gravity of the situation the girl found herself in.

She could have walked away, been happy with her Prince, but instead she chose to intervene; Regina had given her a change and she had been foolish not to take it.

And there were no second chances when it came to Regina. Since she was not given one, no one else would.

Regina ears registered noises coming from the waters, as she turned to face the watery surface she was met with the sight of angry bubbles coming from beneath the seawater, as if the water was coming to a boil. Three heads started surfacing from the disturbed water, three heads of hair, each adorned with shell and pearl crowns. Three displeased female features faced Regina; they all looked at her with disdain. She looked down at the salty water to confirm the fact that, yes, they were mermaids, rather angry ones, staring at her accusingly.

"What?" Regina spat at them, "I did nothing to harm your sister. Here-" Regina used her magic to push the girl's body to the water towards her mermaid sisters "-take her out of my sight. I've had quite enough of the lot of you for a lifetime!"

They caught the weakened body of the once mermaid Ariel running their hands about her body, creating a light green smoke, as if trying to heal her. Their attempts did not seem to be successful and Regina noticed the red haired had passed out but was still breathing.

"We know you did not harm our sister" one of the mermaids looked back at Regina, she had dirty blond long hair and lilac eyes, the color was rather distracting.

"But your lover did-" a dark skinned mermaid told her.

"What?" Regina was confused, _lover_? It could not be-?

"-he did it to defend you" another mermaid informed her as she motioned with her head towards the island. And no wonder, none other than that damned thief, Robin of _fucking_ Locksley, was walking up to her on the deck bow in his hand.

"But however noble his intentions were to defend you-" the first mermaid to speak told her.

"-you will now have to face the wrath of Ursula for spilling the blood of a sea creature on her realm." the dark skinned one completed her sister's sentence.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Regina said infuriated – the anger towards Snow's escape still playing in her head - "Are you threatening me? Do you have any idea with whom you are dealing with? How do you even know that he's my lov-?"

But Regina stopped midsentence as the mermaid's eyes turned completely white and the sky began to darken in an abnormal speed. The thief reached her side just as the three mermaids said in unison.

"The skies will close and the Gods will weep for this affront. The tears that fall from the skies strips all power, the animals run wild, as the blood of an innocent mingles with the waters."

"What the hell are they on about?" the thief asked her slightly out of breath due to his run, he did not seem to really be much affected by their words.

With those words said, the three mermaids along with the bleeding body of Ariel sunk inside the water. They did not utter another word or blink, their eyes still white.

Regina turned to finally face _her lover_.

"You complete IDIOT!" she roared at him, the skies were dark but not as dark as her penetrating and enraged gaze was.

"A simple 'thank you' would suffice" the outlaw retorted.

"What should I thank you for?" Regina was not thinking straight, she was going to place the blame in anybody if it meant she could lash out at somebody for having had Snow escape on her _AGAIN_.

"Oh, I don't know-" he raised his voice, "-maybe saving your ass from that petty red hair?"

"Oh, so I'm supposed to be thankful to you because she did not stab me _lethally_ WITH A FORK!" Regina was screaming now, nearing his face to his as she did.

"Gods, you are the most infuriating person I have ever met!" Robin met her screams bringing both his hands to his hair.

"Because of your bloody attack I got distracted and Snow swam away!" their noses inches away.

"Because of my bloody attack you did not get stabbed in the neck!" Regina felt her eyes grew wide.

"WITH A FORK YOU BABBLING IDIOT!" she pushed him at the chest hard but he did not move from his position.

"I DID NOT FUCKING KNOW IT WAS A BLOODY FORK YOU DERANGED COW!" he screamed back at her pushing _her_ back, she did give two steps back at his attack, "From the distance I could only see a silvery pointy object making its way to your bloody neck, damn it."

Regina huffed, he was right, she knew he was right, but she would be damned if she ever gave into that man, "What are you even doing here? Are you following me now? Hoping to get a quick fuck in between my evil plans?"

The thief seemed to grow angrier at her words and let out a rage-filled scream as he kicked a stray wooden bucket with force, it ended up landing on the now moving seawaters. The sky had turned very dark, as the mermaids had warned them but in the midst of their heated discussion, the change went by unnoticed. That was until the pair noticed how the seawaters had started to move quickly when only moments ago it had been peaceful and almost motionless. Their gaze accompanied the motion of the bucket that suddenly was sucked into the dark seawaters, their eyes met at the sight.

"I swear that sometimes I wish I could push you into a vortex like that." the outlaw said looking at her, obviously still pained by her previous words.

She huffed, unimpressed – as always – by his half threat, "Was that supposed to be a threat? Am I supposed to be frightened that you'll push me into the water?"

They exchanged a long angered gaze, each holding the other's eye in challenge, not moving a single muscle. Big droplets of rain started falling from the sky, their connection, however, did not break.

Heat and anger were practically bursting out of Regina's chest and she could sense that the feeling was most certainly reciprocated by the hotheaded outlaw. After a few moments the outlaw finally broke the silence saying in a defeated yet annoyed tone

"Fuck all this-" he turned on his heel and started to walk away from her, the heavy droplets of rain were succeeding in getting the pair wet but neither of them seemed to care or notice.

"Don't you dare walk away from me!" Regina roared and lifted her hand in order to use her magic to bring him back to face her. She could feel her power running through her veins, spell ready to come to life and yet, nothing happened. The magic simmered on Regina's palm but she was not able to use it, hence the outlaw continued to walk away.

Regina felt terrified, a sudden wave of panic rushed through her as she stared at the palm of her hand, horrified. She tried to summon her fireballs - that was a second nature spell for her, never failed her once she was able to master it - but nothing happened. She looked perturbed at the palms of both her hands and took off the black leather gloves she had been wearing and tried again to summon the fire.

Nothing happened

She had been indeed stripped of the capacity to use her powers.

She looked ahead at the outlaw who was almost reaching the island, walking blissfully unaware of her situation, walking away from _her_. As so many had before him. And now, even her magic had left her.

Regina felt a strong pang on her chest, so strong she instinctively clutched the spot of her heart with her now gloveless hand – she had discarded of the useless items at some point. She screwed her eyes shut as the pain continued and felt hopeless and so very alone. It had been the longest time since she had felt so strongly because of her loneliness.

_What was happening?_

_You are being weak dearie. That thief is making you weak._

_No! The thief is making me nothing! The thief might make me horny but that is IT!_ Regina retorted to the impish voice

_And right you are at being horny! You deserve to be satisfied!_ The Queen sporting only black thigh high stockings still lounging on a chaise told her.

Regina shook her head to try to get rid of all those irritating voices inside her head. She was now soaked to the bone and for the first time actually acknowledged that it was raining and it did not look like it was going to be a passing thing.

She looked ahead and spotted the outlaw's frame, he had now reached the island and was making his way towards the forest, he walked with his head down, his paces were not hasty - as one would expect another to take in such a weather.

Regina had very little choice but to follow him. She cursed her choice of attire, her tight leather skirt was doing nothing to assist her reaching the outlaw, plus Regina knew that the whole outfit had now been ruined thanks to the exposure to all this water.

_Just my luck_

Huffing and still very much infuriated by the whole situation Regina put one foot in front of the other and marched towards the outlaw. Despite of her best attempts to reach him she did not succeed and had to resort to something she deemed quite beneath her.

"OI!" she screamed feeling her cheeks burn hot.

The outlaw's head snapped back in her direction almost instantly as he stopped walking. Regina made her way towards him trying to maintain the poise and composure a Queen should always possess, or at least as much as she was able to pull off in this situation. He sported a surprised expression on his face which was a relieving change from smug smirking he seemed so found of doing.

"Do my eyes deceive me-" he started, he had to half shout since the rain was pouring quite heavily at this point "- or are you really still here and soaked to the bone?"

Regina glared at him but said nothing, the droplets of rain falling from her lashes made her eyes itch and her humor drop a thousand more points.

"I would have assumed you had already done your puffy thing and gone back to the castle, your majesty." he continued, his eyes squinting a bit due to the rain, "I must say I'm surprised, I would have never judged you for being one who enjoys the benefits of a good rain shower-"

"SHUT UP!" Regina ordered closing her eyes whilst speaking, she reopened them and he was looking at her, smug smirk back on his face.

"You will escort me to my castle thief-" Regina started pointing her now gloveless finger at him "-and Gods help you should anything happen to me during the journey."

His mouth opened to retort but then closed, he crossed his arms and regarded her for a beat, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, before responding.

"Alright-" he looked rather puzzled at her request but Regina would be damned before she would give him any sort of explanation.

Without another word the thief led Regina into the woods that surrounded Prince Eric's castle, she was thankful for the silence but still silently cursed her choice of foot wear. This was going to be a long day...

...

They had entered the forest and Regina cursed every five steps she took. The heels of her boots insisted on getting stuck in the mud, her skirt would prevent her from removing them from the ground or a new strand of wet hair would plaster itself on her face. She gathered she must have looked like a hot mess and she hated the fact that of all the people in the world, that particular outlaw was the audience to her humiliation.

But the man himself kept in front, guiding her through the woods and rarely looked back to check if she was still following him or alive or to help her when her clothing would get caught in some matter of foresty trap. Regina had had just about enough of her hot leather jacket, it was sticking to her skin and the exercise of the tracking was making Regina sweat on it, plus she knew was ruined. Making up her mind, she stopped on her tracks and she uttered

"Damn this!" and without another word, Regina tore the jacket from her body with a strength she herself did not know she possessed.

On that day - for the very first time in a very long time - Regina had actually chosen to wear some sort of undergarments. A choice she was now rather grateful for, for instead of an exposed chest, she had a thin dark layer of fabric covering her skin. It was very little fabric, only a pair of black straps supporting the cup shaped top that covered her breasts. The brassiere also covered her stomach in two tight dark fabrics that were laid on her skin in the shape of some vertical stripes; one was pitch black but the other - although also dark colored as well- was translucent.

The outlaw turned on his heel as soon as he heard her exclamation. Regina's gaze fixed on his as soon as she was able to rid herself completely of the leathery prison. The look on his face was worth getting a million high-heeled boots stuck in the mud.

His mouth was hanging opened, wide opened; his eyes seemed to be stuck on her breasts as he actually dropped his bow. Having the best archer in the realm drop his BOW to the mere sight of her did things to Regina and it was now her turn to look smug and let an insufferable smirk adorn her lips.

"Fuck me" he managed to whisper, bringing his hand to his mouth.

Regina groaned trying to sound annoyed but actually loving the extra attention, "Fuck you!" she sneered back at him "Get ahold of your primal instincts thief. That _cannot_ be all you think about."

Regina felt like such a ridiculous hypocrite, for when it came to him, sex was all she could think about as well. But this was yet another thing he did not need to know, _ever_.

"Very difficult not to think about it when you start taking your clothes off" he stated shamelessly ogling her breasts.

They no longer had to half scream in order to be heard for - although the rain kept pouring down - the protection of the forest trees muffled the loud noise of the rain as well as diminished the amount of water that came to fall down on them. They were still soaked, so Regina was still angry, but with that very special brand of anger he brought to her heart also came an irritating amount of desire.

Regina arched one eyebrow at his comment and for the first time in that entire day, or maybe even ever since they had met, decided to actually agree with him. However, of course, she would be agreeing in her own terms, in her own special way.

She did not say anything, but continued to look at him square in the eye, perfect brow still lifted, she smirked. Ever so slowly, she brought one hand to the right strap on her bodice. She hooked her index finger on the thin material and - watching his every reaction like a hawk - started pulling it down.

The dumbfounded expression returned to the thief's features and Regina already felt victorious. She might have been wet, angry and temperamental but she was glad she could still twist that man on the tip of her finger.

Regina's majesty was not long lived, though, for when her finger's task was done a spine-chilling howl reached both their ears. All sensual games forgotten in a split second, their eyes met in another light.

"Wolves" he said, his gaze now scanning their surroundings. He picked up his bow from the ground and motioned for Regina to get closer to him "Come, we have to move."

And so the outlaw led Regina hastily through the woods, trying to stay off the track of the pack of wolves.

Regina's boots were not helping, they were slowing her down, she had almost twisted her ankle seven times already. She had had just about enough of it, so she grabbed his hand in order to halt their journey momentarily. She could not deny the strong zap between the skin of her fingers and palm as they came in contact with his flesh. He looked back and down at their joined skin, perplexed but Regina cut the contact off and started to remove her boots.

"Why won't you just 'magic' yourself out of here?" he asked her just as she had removed the first boot.

"If I could, do you think I'd be here with you right now?" she retorted not looking at him, discarding of the other boot.

"Did you lose your powers then?" he asked.

"Not that is any of your business but no, I did not lose my powers, they are still inside me. I just can't use them." She wined.

"My, isn't this your lucky day then?" he had the nerve to comment.

"No thanks to you!" Regina spat back,

"Ah, would you do me a favor and shut your royally annoying mouth about that." and with no other words he grabbed her hand and they continued tracking along the forest, trying to keep out of the wolves way.

Their attempt to escape failed, as now Regina was able to spot several pairs of yellow eyes amongst the trees. The rain had not ceased and nor had the hold the thief had on her hand. They ran past the trees as fast as they could, but all their efforts seemed unsufficient in the face of their feral enemies. With no magic Regina had no hope in confronting them, if she could use the power on her fingertips she would have been able to set fire to all of them with a flicker of her wrist.

Now she felt helpless and scared. Two things she had not felt in the longest time, two things she had vowed she would never feel again. Ever since she started taking her magic lessons, she had dedicated her whole being to her magic, her magic would protect her, her magic would help her harm others before they ever had the chance to harm her.

And now here she was, stripped of her magic, running away from a pack of wolves with a thief that made her head thump with anger and her cunt ache with lust, soaked to the bone and half naked.

_If only mother could see me now!_

Suddenly he stopped, Regina regarded him confused, he explained.

"There is no way we are going to get to the edge of this forest before the pack catches us-" he took of a dagger from his belt and continued "-we'll have to climb."

Regina's eyes widened "Climb? Climb what?"

"Climb this tree, it's the tallest and greatest one I could spot. It's got thick enough branches we can hide in." he told her.

"I'm not climbing a tree. Do I look like a monkey to you?" Regina replied

"Your majesty, you can either be a monkey with me or dinner with the wolves-" he said looking up at the tree, "-suit yourself." and with that he started to climb the tree, not a single look back was given to Regina.

Desperation hit her like an arrow.

That damned man was doing this on purpose; he wanted her to ask for his help.

DAMN, DAMN, DAMN him if she ever lived through this day.

"Wait!" Regina shouted after him, he stopped climbing "Please-" Regina could not believe she had just said it and neither could he for when his head turned to face her his face bore the most stunned expression she had ever seen him make. He immediately jumped off the tree and stood in front of her.

"Come again?" he whispered

"You are really enjoying this aren't you?" she narrowed her eyes

"Immensely." he replied

"Help me up." Regina said

"Help you up what?" the outlaw asked a tiny smile on his lips

"Help me up NOW!" Regina's blood was boiling.

"You know that's not the right way to go" he bit his lower lip.

"Help me up right now or we will both be turned into wolf lunch."

"You are forgetting you manners your majesty"

Regina knew he was not going to budge so she finally gave in "Please help me up!"

"There we are, that wasn't so bad now, was it?" he said smirking, twisting his dagger about his fingers.

"Don't push it outlaw" Regina retorted between clenched teeth.

"I believe I've already told you what I plan on pushing-" he said kneeling down in front of her.

Regina was confused, what the hell did he think he was doing?

Without any warning, the outlaw brought his dagger to the hem of her heavy leather skirt and ran the blade quickly through the fabric, manufacturing his own personal slit.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Regina bellowed trying to move away from him while he brought the dangerously sharp knife up.

"I'm making sure you are able to actually climb the tree!" he responded continuing his handy work, cutting the fabric until he reached the top of her thigh.

When he was finished Regina looked down at her now more than ever ruined skirt and commented, "This cut goes unnecessarily high."

"Can't blame a man for wanting easier access your majesty," he said rising from his knees and having the guts to wink at her, Regina rolled her eyes.

His humor was short lived for the howling of the wolves was getting dangerously near.

"Right-" he regarded her for a heartbeat, "-up we go"

Without any fair warning, the man lowered his body so he could grab her about her knees and lifted her. Regina let out a surprised yelp at his actions and instinctively tried to kick him away.

"Stop kicking me damn it" she could hear his voice reverberating against her thigh "Trying to get us both killed?" he managed to hoist her up a little higher "Can you grab that branch?"

Regina had been in a state of absolute shock, from all that had happened that day; she did not in a million years picture herself in this position, in this place and time. She snapped back to reality and looked up to see a thick branch an arm's reach away from her.

"A bit more to the left" she said, not believing the absurdity of the situation

He thankfully obliged and Regina was moved enough to be able to grab ahold of the thick branch. When her hands came in contact with the tree she could feel the slimy substances that grazed its surface, reluctantly but with very little choice left, used both her hands to hoist herself up on the branch, thankful she weighted so little.

Cutting a generous slit on her dress had in fact helped her tremendously when she came to hoist one knee to the branch – but not before promptly stepping on the outlaw's head in order to get herself higher – and finally getting herself out of the thief's grasp and onto the terrifyingly uneven surface of the branch. Her torso was pressed to the wood, and she managed to stand just as the outlaw screamed from bellow.

"Keep going, I'm right behind you"

Regina looked down at him for a moment, all wet and dirty and helping her.

He could have left her die long ago, but he did no such thing. He hoisted her up before himself even. He-

_Best, not think too much about this, it is an extreme situation in which people tend to act in strange ways._ Regina reasoned with herself

_Besides dearie, you took his heart! Do you even think he is able to nurture any kind of feeling for you?_

She took a deep breath at that realization and pushed all her feelings down so she could focus on the task at hand, climb.

And climb she did, with the outlaw's assistance they were both able to reach a large branch. That particular branch was up about forty feet from the ground and Regina watched alongside him as the pack of wolves passed the tree by. They took care not to make any noise, some of the wolves stopped to sniff at the tree trunk, some howled but after a few minutes they left and an uncomfortable silence, only broken by the sound of rainfall, descended upon them.

Regina was thankful that the branch she had chosen was rather large, not very long but robust and could easily support both their weights. The pair stood looking down for a few more minutes but Regina was downright exhausted and did not know what time of day it was, - since it was still pouring down and the skies were dark – she gave a defeated sigh and broke the silence.

"Can we climb down now?" She did not even bother to try to maintain station over him; she was just too damn tired for that exhausting game of power they usually played.

"We cannot." He said, his voice also bland, no biting, no sarcasm, for which Regina was thankful

"Why not?" Regina asked

"Because even though the pack moved, they are still about these woods. And thanks to the trail you left-"

"I left no such thing," Regina interrupted him out of instinct

"Yes, you did. You left half your clothes on our way here." He explained in a plain voice, not bothered by the rise in her tone

"Oh" was all she could muster to reply

They fell silent for a few more minutes until it was the outlaw's turn to break the silence.

"Do you know why you can't use your powers?"

"I-" Regina started "During our early tracking I tried to think of reasons but this has never happened to me before" she admitted slightly defeated

"Oh" he gave her

"But then I remembered that something different had happened today." She neared the truck of the tree and leaned her back against it thankful for the little comfort it offered. "The mermaids!"

"The mermaids?" He looked puzzled and took two steps in her direction standing in a close but respectful distance

"Yes! When you shot that mermaid-"

"I did not shoot a mermaid, I'm not retarded, you can't harm a sea creature next to the sea, any idiot knows that-"

"Oh, how thick is that skull of yours?" She asked annoyed crossing her arms "that red hair you shot _was_ a mermaid, I gave her legs temporally but she was in essence a mermaid"

"Shit!" He exclaimed bringing both his hands to run through his hair

"Shit indeed. You shot her and I pushed her back into the ocean, the ultimate offense, her blood stained the sea waters." Regina explained, "The mermaids did give us a warning, something about skies closing, water pouring and powers being taken"

"I remember that faintly since you started howling at me almost immediately after my arrival"

"Do stop complaining for a second, will you?" Regina narrowed her eyes whilst looking at him "This is why I'm powerless, the rainwater is blocking my powers"

"So I guess we will have to wait for the rain to stop, for it would be suicide to climb down from this tree when the wolves know your smell so well." The outlaw concluded.

Her smell yes, but not his. He could probably climb down and go on his merry way if he wanted to, he was a forest man, had lived in this conditions for years. And yet, here he was, with her, on top of a tree. He-

"How wonderful!" Regina commented moving her weight from one foot to the other.

That movement proved to be rather painful and Regina winced when she felt a horrid sting on her right foot. The outlaw's gaze turned to her foot.

"Let me look at it" he stated simply

"No." She replied, moving her foot away, only making it sting even more, she could not hold back a small cry of pain.

"Let me fucking look at it, stop being so difficult." He was dead serious and sounded rather annoyed.

"Fine" Regina lifted her foot.

"No, sit down" he gestured for her, "rest your back on the trunk"

Glaring at him Regina did as he asked and sat on the wooden surface resting her aching back on the trunk and sighing in relief for the first time the whole day.

He crutched in front of her going on his knees and sitting on his feet as he reached for her harmed foot. He took it with a careful touch that Regina had though him unable to possess, he inspected the foot and sighed

"You have a pretty nasty shard of glass here, no idea how that got there." Regina looked at him biting her lower lip "I can take it off though. It will hurt but the pain will dismissing once it's out."

Regina took a deep breath and replied

"Do it."

Regina did not want to be weak, but had to give in and close her eyes when the stinging pain started building up. The outlaw was amazingly quick and in the next moment, the pain indeed diminished. Regina sighed against her will and felt the outlaw move in front of her.

Her legs ached; her feet were filled with cuts and bruises, her outfit beyond hope, her hair now tangled on the once meticulous updo she had manufactured a few hours prior. Regina's hands went up to her hair to free it from the pins that persisted in holding about half of it up, the sight must have been horrid.

She opened her eyes to find he was now sitting on the trunk right in front of her, one leg stretched out and another bent so his foot touched the surface of the branch, her foot rested in the middle of his legs. He took her harmed foot with care and laid it on the out stretched thigh, reached for his shirt, and tore a piece of cloth from it without hesitation.

"What are you doing?" She asked

"It's bleeding, your foot," he responded, "I have to try to stop it somehow."

"Oh" was all she could say as she watched him wrap the cloth about her foot, tightening it a bit. When he was done he placed her foot back on his thigh and asked her:

"I gather you never ran barefoot in the forest before"

"I think we both know the answer to that" Regina responded.

"Well-" he said in a slightly humored tone "-here's to first times," he started running his fingers absently on the skin near the ankle of her harmed foot. The touch was light but incredibly soothing, a bit of electricity ran about them.

"First and only time!" Regina replied widening her eyes, "Remind me to never again push a bloodied mermaid inside seawaters," she snorted and quickly covered her mouth reprimanding herself for letting out such a noise. His amused eyes met hers she snapped his way "That never happened"

"Oh, never!" His entire right hand was now drawing slow patterns on her leg.

His touch of her leg was gentle, his opened palm travelled up and down the back of her leg a few times. A warm feeling started bubbling on the pit of her stomach as now both his hands caressed her outstretched leg, he had come closer to her somehow. They ran up and down the length of it and Regina had to close her eyes and rest her head on the trunk because the sensation was the best she had felt all day.

It had been so long since she had felt this way, oddly taken care of, not so alone anymore. A strong burning feeling invaded her chest at the thought of this odd man who caressed her, she knew she should not feel that way and yet, Regina could not help it, could not erase it from her wounded yet somehow hopeful heart.

After a few minutes, she decided to question him on something that had been nagging her for the last couple of days.

"You like fucking me, hun outlaw?" She had uttered those words with her eyes still closed; she opened them to continue "Why?" she met his blue eyes with her own questioning set.

Regina had asked this very same question to all the men she had taken to her bed. All the men who had taken her with her consent, safe for Daniel – she had known why he had touched her intimately that fateful night they had gotten engaged, it had been because he loved her. As for the other men, - who could not have been more different from one another – all of them had given her very similar responses to this question. They had praised her appearance and told her how she was the fairest of all women. In empty but pretty words, they had told her that no one could ever match her beauty and that they had long longed to see all of her beauty bared. So Regina was very surprised to hear what the outlaw had to say on the subject

"Because every time I touch you-" he ran one hand up her leg, reaching her knee and going a little further before continuing "-I'm hit by a sensation I have never felt before." His hand ran down her leg again, delicious zaps spreading from the areas his hand caressed, "Something I can hardly explain or describe."

He was looking down at her leg; his eyes accompanied the movement of his hand. Regina was quite stunned at his words,

_What was that sensation he spoke of? _

_Could it be the very same she was feeling? _

_The burning electricity? _

Before she could pounder any further on the subject or respond, he continued;

"And-" his hand slithered up her skin again but this time went further up and reached her private parts - the slit he had created assisting him immensely – he sat even closer to her – at this point the leg of her harmed foot was resting on his out stretched leg - and grazed his fingers about the fabric of her undergarments and Regina bit her bottom lip "-also because this cunt of yours feels like it's been tailor made for my cock."

Regina's eyes widened with his last remark and a red-hot wave of lust took over her reason and state. No longer caring if she was bruised or tired or on the top of a tree she grabbed a fist full of the thief's shirt and uttered a "Good answer" before she brought his mouth down to hers kissing him hungrily.

He was very quick to respond, biting her lower lip before his tongue invaded her mouth, tasting like pure bliss and blood red lust. Regina opened her legs and pulled at his shirt more making him jump a little in order to get even closer to her. He quickly situated himself in between her dirt grazed legs, sitting on his knees and started running both his hands along the length of her bent legs.

Regina slumped a little bringing him down to her slightly, their mouths never disconnecting in a battle for the power, for control over each other. An odd surge of strength invaded Regina's chest as she kissed her thief thoroughly. Her hands found their way to the back of his neck pulling him even closer, wanting to drink in as much of him as she could with her hungry mouth.

One of his hands travelled up her thigh and met her aching sex making a half electrifying contact – only half for she was wearing undergarments for a change. A soft moan escaped her lips and broke their long kiss when his experienced archer fingers played around with the fabric that separated them from her knot of nerves. Regina bit his lower lip – wanting to wipe away the smirk he had on them - when he continued to pressure that same spot which drew involuntary noises from the back of her throat.

But getting back at the thief for his smugness disappeared from Regina's mind when his fingers finally pushed the fabrics aside and she felt the skin on skin sensation. That zap, that absolute mystery and ridiculously pleasurable sensation she felt every single time their bare skin met.

Now it was his time to nibble on her lips and tease with his mouth on her, he hovered above her – by this point, she had slumped all the way down so her back was pressed to the large branch they shared – his lips close, but only teasing. Regina's only reactions were the bucking of her hips and the opening of her lips to release pleasure filled moans as he worked her up with his fingers.

Regina's hands gripped the hard wood on the branch, her knuckles probably going white with the force she was using, the thief's touch was driving her insane. He had started gentle but intense, his thumb rubbing her bud all the right ways, his head just above her as she tried unsuccessfully to bite him lips as he stared down at her drinking in every single reaction he drew from her.

_Enjoying it_

_Enjoying it oh so very much_, Regina could notice with the little that had been left of her perception by this point.

Regina wanted to take control, wanted to wipe that smug grin from his face, make _him_ squeal and twitch under _her_ touch. But when two rather experienced fingers found her entrance and the thief managed to hook them _just _the right way, Regina's ambitions in turning the tables became hazy and unimportant compared to the shrill of pleasure that dominated her body.

The moan that left Regina's mouth was loud, loud enough to apparently inflate even more the thief's ego which was transparent through his expression, an exasperated surprised moan leaving his lips. His fingers moved in and out of her and Regina closed her eyes and surrendered to his touch, hearing him whisper "So fucking wet" and "Fuck your majesty" whilst he drove her over the edge with his fingers.

Her back arched and Regina thrust her hips forward to meet his movements, which were steady and hard. But she wanted deeper, harder, faster, so opening her eyes to look at his dark blue pools she whispered "Deeper" in a slurry low tone. He bit his lower lip stopping his movements for a moment and Regina promptly raised one of her legs so the back of her knee was hooked on his shoulder and her entrance much more accessible.

She gave him a half smile as he stared down at her with a half amused half sexy smirk on his lips. He surprised her by turning his head to the side and placing a kiss to the side of her knee, it was a tender and soft thing that lasted about two seconds but managed to steal Regina's breath away. Regina blinked twice and met his eye again as he ran a warm gentle hand down her hoisted up thigh and reached her knee - which she had just noticed was slightly scraped. His fingers did not meet the injured part of her knee but circled around it as Regina watched his every move intensely.

She should have been paying attention to the other hand, for out of the blue a pair of magical archer fingers found her entrance once again and started thrusting vigorously. He leaned slightly towards her and used his free hand to support the weight of his body as he pumped into her again and again. His pace had picked, it was fast, perfectly fast, and _hard_, the loud sound of their flesh coming together moistened in her juices making everything feel so very real, so utterly animalistic and yet the sensations made Regina see colorful spots in front of her. The thief grunted and moaned above her - apparently also being filled with pleasure due to the activities he was performing in between her legs – the sounds of their desire mingling with the muffed sound of the rain, which had been long forgotten by the pair by this point.

He pumped into her frantically when Regina felt her orgasm reaching her, her hands had gone to grip to the actually tree trunk above her head, she scraped her nails almost painfully at the harsh surface. Her back arched and her eyes squeezed shut as she reached her peak, releasing a scream as utter pleasure washed over her body. The next moment her legs were jelly and her heart felt as if it was going to come off her mouth, pounding strongly against her chest.

She heard him huff above her, he then removed his fingers from her aching core. Regina opened her eyes just in time to catch him lowering his head to meet her sex and give her a generous provocative lick staring off at her opening and ending on her bud, giving her a nice nip for good measure. Regina could not help but bring almost her whole back up wailing in pleasure – a very embarrassing sound Regina did not like to make - and grip his head as his tongue made contact with her never before so sensitive sex.

"Damn you" she said in between her clenched teeth in an unsuccessful attempt to sound under control. But the sensation had tripled in effect after her orgasm. And Regina knew he knew, that smug son of a bitch.

"Forgive me your majesty-," he said looking at her as she brought her hands to lift her back from the bark completely and sat, the man still very much situated in between her spread legs.

He went to his knees only to sit back on the branch once again, one leg stretched out and the other bend, one of his arms coming to rest on the bent knee as he continued, "-but there's an extraordinary taste to _submissive_ Queen and I could not resist but have a little _bite_."

Regina felt her cheeks burn and an animalist growl on the back at her throat when his words hit her. They were not mocking her for having surrendered for a few minutes but rather gloating on the fact that at those moments she had let him have control over her.

_I told you the thief was making you weak_, the impish voice mocked

_I am not weak_, she uttered back at it

_It felt like heaven, did it not darling?_ Her sex drive told her, still wearing nothing but a dark pair of thigh high stockings, _So who cares if you were weak or not?_

_He mocks you Regina, he thinks he has got control over you_, the heartless Queen provoked her

_Maybe this is a good thing_; this one was small and timid, in the back of Regina's mind, _Regina_\- she felt as if the voice was whispering quietly in her ear, _-you know this is different_

_KILL HIM!_ The imp and the heartless Queen screamed muffling the timid voice

_NO! Do not kill him! He is the best sex you have ever had!_ The half-naked Queen whined

"Your majesty?" the thief snapped her out of her internal hell waving one hand in front of her, trying to catch her attention, she blinked several times suddenly realizing she had had her eyes widened for all this time and they were in desperate need of moisture.

"Are you quite alright?" he asked, her eyes focused back on him, the thief who made her feel _weak_.

Regina knew what she had to do. Knew to which voice she should listen to.

She pounced

Her sight was red, she could barely see anything clearly now, only red, only fury.

She was abnormally quick for she was able to grab ahold of his neck and there was very little that the man could do to stop her. She felt anger, so much anger, at him, at herself, at those voices that tormented her as she squeezed his neck with only her brute force. His hands had come to reach for hers as they tightened around his neck. Regina had gotten to her knees to attack him and now as leaning forward using all her strength, all her body weight to drain the life out of him. Because _he_ was different, and not just because he was the best sex she had ever had but because it was _him_. Somehow, he had gotten under her skin, somehow, she found she cared, but she could not. Because the minute you care about someone they become your weakness.

And Regina was not weak, she could not be weak.

_I AM NOT WEAK_, she roared to herself

She held an almost maniacal stare with her working hands and it was only when she heard his strangled voice utter "Why-" did she look up to meet his gaze.

His eyes were blue and filled her chest with the most unwanted of feelings but Regina found herself helpless to fight them. They were sky blue and wide, confused, maybe even hurt. Regina looked deep inside that endless blue and her grip loosened. His eyes were blue and through them a wave of color washed by her world, the red color started to vanish. She looked into his eyes as everything went back to normal, the rightful colors returning to her surroundings, the red only remaining only where they had always been.

Regina went back to herself letting out a puff of breath and before she knew it, before she could stop herself, crashed onto the outlaw's frame. She buried her head on the crook of his neck, her arms limp, her breathing catching his skin, she felt the man bring his hands to her sides in order to steady her above him.

Her voice was small, so small she thought she was only saying it only inside her head but the words came out of her mouth "I'm not weak" her lips grazed softly on his skin as she spoke; she took in his scent that was not the most agreeable thing about him at the moment.

"I never said that" she heard him respond and had to look up at him, his expression was bland, as if she had not just tried to strangle him at all.

She looked at him long and hard and studied his expression.

_He really did not give a damn, did he?_

"I don't agree with the word 'submissive' being paired up with my name" she finally spoke when she found a less fragile voice.

"I figured that much on my own, thank you very much" he responded, they were still so close.

Regina only huffed in reply to his snappy words.

"Look-" he said his accent had grown so incredibly thick by this point, "- I don't know what's cooking up in that crazy head of yours but I can tell you this-" he grabbed both her shoulders to stare down at her, "You're not weak. Weak is the very last word I would choose to describe you." He had said the last sentence as if the mere notion to think she was weak was laughable, a joke really.

Regina could not believe her ears as his words reached them, she tilted her head a bit to the side and a small grin tugged her lips, an odd sense of relief washed over her entire being, after a moment she spoke

"I'm glad."

"Glad for what?" he asked her looking confused

"Glad that you are as crazy as I am, normal people are just so easy to break" the grin turned into a full smirk.

He huffed a smile and brought one hand to his mouth for a second then ran it through his hair looking at her whilst he replied, his lips still twisted in an incredulous smile.

"Fucking hell"

She brought both her hands to his chest and pushed him down so now _his_ back bit the harsh bark of the tree. He gave a small surprised yelp but still had a grin on his lips as she straddled his waist and leaned her head to near his and spoke in a low voice

"I'm going to ride you until you lose your mind thief"

"Ah, there's the evil Queen all people know and fear" he responded still smirking.

Regina laughed at his comment, a real laugh. She pressed herself against him, he hissed in response bringing one of his hands to the slit on her skirt. Regina slapped it away before he could touch her bare skin again.

"You're paying for your tongue thief." she slurred.

"What can I say?" he replied, "Being out of my mind does have its perks then" she noticed that his voice was a little croaky, not doubt thanks to her murderous tendencies.

She pressed the palm of her hand to his mouth and saying

"I think you've done enough talking for now"

She rose to her knees, still with his sex between her legs and released his erection from his trousers in a matter of seconds; he was still hard, even though she had just tried to kill him.

"My, oh my! No blow can get you down apparently." She observed and he immediately opened his mouth to retort when her index finger shot to his lips and she continued, "Do shut up for a minute, will you? That was rhetorical."

The thief closed his mouth and put his hands up in the air in surrender and Regina smirked. The finger on his mouth started making its slow descend on his body, passing by his throat and his still clad chest – why was Regina always the one to get naked first? – and finally reaching her destination, she took him in her hand.

He moaned long and hard as she stroked him lazily, but she was in no mood to give him anything without also being in the receiving end. She guided his head to her entrance – which had remained very slick with arousal due to his fingers - and lowered herself onto him, a sigh of pleasure leaving her lips. Regina rested her hands on his chest and could hear him groaning and also feel the vibrations of the sound on her palms as she adjusted to his member.

It did not take long, he had been quite right when he had said his cock seemed to be tailor made for her. As soon as Regina started moving the zaps became stronger. The more intense her movements were, the more she could feel it, that gut wrenching feeling that she could die right then, right at that spot and all would be well. Which was ridiculous, but at her pleasure haze, felt so true, so right.

She made good at her promise, moving hard and steady, riding him good, making his cock hit all the right points inside her. His hands gripped her hips, and although she remembered vaguely about making him pay for his tongue, it did not seem to matter at the moment. It was not long before her ears captured the outlaw's groans and moans and felt his hands slither under her ruined skirts to grab her bare arse as she rode him nice and strong.

They did not hear it.

How could they have possibly heard the wood finally giving in when they were both screaming their heads off in ecstasy, their senses so utterly focused on the maddening friction of their sexes? When the pair registered they were not flying due to the mind blowing sex they were having but due to the fact that they were indeed falling, there was little any of them could do but close their eyes and hold onto each other.

Regina waited for the pain, waited for eminent death at a very compromising position.

But it never came, suddenly the wind created by the fall stopped rushing through her ears and Regina felt the ground, the texture of dried leaves and dirt on her knees. She opened her eyes and she was alive. Alive and still straddling the thief who also happened to be alive beneath her, he groaned opening his eyes in a start.

"What the fuck just happened?" he asked alarmed

What the fuck indeed!

"I think my powers are back," she responded still dizzy from, well, everything

She looked down at him and he stared back at her for a beat, both their heads shot at their sexes – no longer connected, but she was still very much on top of him – their gazes snapped back at each other before a snort left his mouth and the pair surrendered to laughter. Both poured their guts out laughing at the ridiculousness of this situation. Regina let her body fall onto his whilst she chuckled against his chest, she could feel the vibrations of his laughter, her cheek buzzed for being near his skin, even with the barrier of the thin fabric of his shirt.

He managed to say in between chuckles, "If had a say at it,-" he brought one hand to her back and she rested her chin on his chest in order to look at him as he continued "- I don't think there would be a better way for me to go, than while fucking you."

Regina fisted her hands on his shirt and promptly laughed at his face loud and good. He joined her just as he finished his sentence.

Regina could hardly believe she had almost died then, of all the dangers she had been through already in her life, it was rather comical that she should die due to riding a man too hard. She laughed even harder thinking about the prospect of their bodies being found dead and yet in such a position. Her mother would probably manage to find a way out of Wonderland to the Enchanted Forest so she could resurrect Regina in order to then kill her again for her absolute lack of, well, everything.

She could feel his hands running softly along her back as they continued to chuckle. But their noisy humor ended up reaching the ears of the enemies they tried so very hard to keep away from.

The howls started again and Regina wanted to fight but her body protested, she had drained most of her energy orgasming, climbing, attempt in murdering and fucking. She was so tired the thought of rising to her feet made her want to weep, her very last strings of energy having been disposed at her laughter fit.

"I don't think I can transport us both to the inside of the castle. It's protected by heavy magic and I'm weary." She stated, her chin still rested against his strong chest.

"I'll just track back by foot." He said without a hint of emotion in his voice, however his hands did not leave her back

However tempting his offer sounded, and however much Regina wanted to simply puff herself inside her bedchambers, she could not take it. Not after all he had done for her. She would never admit it aloud but he had most possibly saved her life that day quite a number of times. She huffed and rolled her eyes as both their bodies were surrounded by purple smoke.

When the smoke cleared away they were standing in the woods just outside her gates, Regina's legs ached, her feet still bare, her right foot still harmed. She looked at the thief beside her only to catch him pulling his pants back up, she had completely forgotten his pants were down when she transported them.

"A little heads up would have been kind." He commented looking at her with a small smirk.

"You know I don't do '_kind'_" Regina replied raising her eyebrow and letting one more laugh escape her lips.

She looked back at her castle, she had never been so happy to look upon her once stone prison. She regarded it for a while in silence before the outlaw's voice broke the silence; he had the most confused look on his face.

"Why did you do that? You could have just transported yourself to your chambers and-" he asked puzzled frowning his forehead.

"Because I wanted to thief." Regina bit back, she was willing to help but she would be damned if she were ever to confess that she did that out of sympathy "I'm the Queen and I can do as I please." She finished with a lifted eyebrow.

The frown had not left his features as he simply replied "Right"

"Now I have an urge for water and soap-" Regina stated, she walked towards the gates which opened for her "-feel free to be on your merry way to the river." She mussed, he gave her a sharp look, "Just, do try not to catch anything while you are at it, disease does not become me."

"Why you-" he started but then apparently decided against it, "Fine" and they made rest of the way inside the castle in silence.

There were a few guards on duty but none of them even dared to move as Regina walked past them looking like she had just been to a ball inside a tornado. She had not bothered to set her appearance straight, for one she feared she did not possess the energy to do so, – the last enchantment she had used to bring them both back had drained her more than she wanted to admit- and second because she truly did not care of how her servants saw her. She could have been naked for all she cared and still not giving a flying shit.

They eventually reached a certain point where their paths towards slumber took them in different directions. The outlaw had halted just outside the corridor which Regina knew housed his chambers and she stopped to regard him one last time.

"Thank you" she said with a curt nod.

"Never happened" he reassured her winking before they parted their ways.


	12. Green Monster

**Happy birthday Regina!**

…

It had taken her three whole days.

For three days, Robin had not been graced even with a single glimpse of her shadow.

The day after the mermaid incident he had woken up in the middle of the afternoon – still with his limbs aching from the straining and most senseless adventure he had ever had. He had gone to her chambers as soon as he had put something in his stomach. But she had not been there; she was nowhere to be found in the entire castle. He had asked around, every guard, every single soldier in sight but nobody seemed to know where she was, had been last seen with him the day before and then nothing.

Robin was confused, painfully so, the numb feeling on his chest for once did not assist him in clearing his head off the events of _that_ day.

He did not know how to feel about it. He did not even know how he could feel anything at all. _That_ day - the day she had almost killed half fish Snow White and they had been trapped on that damned tree - had been one of the most insane days of his life.

He did not know what had possessed him to follow her - especially after she had dumped him inside that cold river. He had felt uneasy about her going out all by herself, even though he knew that she was more than capable to fare for herself. He did not even pretend that he was honoring his post as captain of her personal guard, that title and a pile of horse manure had the very same importance to him.

Riding the whole night, he was able to reach the seaside kingdom just before sunrise and as soon as he found civilization, started inquiring about the whereabouts of the castle. It had not been that difficult to spot it, nor to find the Queen, for she was hoisting up a mermaid on the deck situated directly in front of the castle. A mermaid that had looked a lot like the brat she had commissioned him to kill, he felt a surge of strange joy in knowing the Queen would be fulfilling her revenge on the princess she searched for so manically. He chose to hide away near the deck, amongst several wooden barrels and boxes that were to be loaded inside a ship anchored a few paces away. She never needed to know he had been there, he just wanted to make sure nothing-

When he had spotted the red haired girl making her way back towards the Queen Robin froze. She held unskillfully a silvery pointy object in one hand but her aim was quite clear, the Queen's neck. He did not think twice. He shot her right in the gut, he did not even go for the mercy shot in the neck choosing to make her suffer for trying to harm her, possibly even kill his-

But of course the Queen had acted like an ungrateful bitch from the moment she had spotted him. Their banter had been most of the times entertaining but she clearly had not been thinking straight at that particular moment. He had had just about enough of her retorts, screams and insults so he had simply walked away, had left her alone to scream at the wind. He knew she was more than capable of fairing for herself, puffing herself back home with a single flick of her wrist.

Apparently, he had been mistaken, she had chased after him. Robin had been thoroughly confused when she called out for him the first time,

_Why hadn't she simply used magic?_

She had looked different then, uneasy, as if she did not have all the answers in the book and also quite resolute in trying her best not to show that very same fact. However, her feelings were always bared to him for some inexplicable reason; he was able to read her moods almost second naturally by now.

He had seen so many sides of her it made him dizzy and excessively uneasy. He had not known what to make of all the stormy spirits he had seen in her eyes, he had caught a small glimpse of her being vulnerable. It was obvious that she had been stripped of her magic and that that terrified the living shit out of her.

He could have run, left her there, retrieved his heart from the castle and simply left forever. He would never have to listen to her insult him, or belittle him or through him in bloody rivers. He could have also bargained for his heart in exchange for assisting and protecting her. He could have even killed her himself - it would have been ridiculously easy, she was a petite woman behind all that power she had lacked at that moment - it would have only taken a snap or one single arrow.

But the mere idea of killing her brought a chilling feeling up his spine, he could never do it, could never harm her. That realization hit him hard and deep whilst she stood in front of him waiting for his response. He did not understand why, but he simply did not have the strength to do it. Nor did he feel he was capable of leaving her to fend for herself, he would never forgive himself if something were to happen to her. Leaving her forever was completely out of the question.

She had changed him, somehow she had. He had been then certain he would never be the same after he had met this maddening but stunning woman. He could not imagine himself being parted from her, even if she drove him up a wall with her attitude.

He had been left with the option of simply helping her. But of course, _she_ was not making it any easier for him, it seemed she grew more and more irritable by the second in their tracking. Their banter seemed to go on forever, her mood shifting so much Robin felt ready to simply knock her over the head and carry her unconscious self back to the castle.

He did not, however, oppose to her shedding half her clothes off. By the time they had managed to get on top of that tree he was resolute that she had never looked more wild and exquisite. She had let down her hair, it was damp and clung to her skin in a way Robin did not know could be attractive, her brassiere was sin itself and barely left anything to the imagination, plus - after he had taken care of her skirt - quite a nice quantity of leg was at his eyes' disposal.

He could hardly even believe he had confessed to her about the electric feeling he experienced when they touched. He had been thankful she had not laughed at his face or taunted him but he had to salvage himself somehow so he made that ridiculous comment about her cunt being tailor made for him. He never thought it would have the effect it did upon her; she was on him a second later, all fiery, forgetting about her injured foot and her ruined clothes.

It was a laughable affair that - for once - she had been wearing undergarments but they did not keep him from pumping his eager fingers inside her, hard and fast, and seeing her come apart with his touch. Her release over his curved fingers did something to Robin; it flared him up with an indescribable amount of pride and smugness. Of course, it had been his fatal mistake to actually voice his feelings the way he did. When her eyes acquired a new shimmer, they had been wide and almost unblinking. She was more looking through him, his words snapped her out of her haze but it only took a second for her to get her claws around his neck. Something that brought him back to their first time together, when she had almost killed him for having failed is mission.

The situation then had been quite similar, for he felt her clutch was mighty even for a woman of her physical stature. Last time she had been assisted by magic but now even though he knew she was not using any of it she was managing to strangle him alright. However, Robin found himself unable to harm her, he did not have the strength to pull her hands away, and instead he just regarded her with questioning eyes.

_Why?_

_Why was she doing this?_

_Why would she try to kill him?_

When their eyes met it was as if a spell on her own had been broken, her clutch became nonexistent and her body feel on his. This was the most unusual part of this whole exchange, the fact that after trying to openly kill him, she would quite simply through her weight on him and sigh.

_Weak_

_I am not weak_

She most definitely was not weak, how could she even think something like that? For all Robin knew, he could guarantee that she was one of the most resilient people he had ever met, strong and incisive. He had told her so, she was not weak, her response, again, was not what he had expected.

If Robin did not know for sure before, he most certainly knew then that this Queen was indeed one of a kind, for two minutes later she was on top of him, riding him. Their sexes became one and the sensation sent shivers up and down his spine. To have that woman on top of him, impaling her sex with his own was indescribable, like he was whole, like the whole world did not matter as long as they were like this. The zaps had become more and more intense with every sway of her hips and Robin saw spots blurring his vision due to the overwhelming the sensation.

All too soon they were falling, it was almost laughable that she had managed to break down such a mighty and sturdy branch but the truth of the matter was that they were probably going to die.

But they did not die, instead Robin had found himself lying on the forest floor on his back, not a single trace of impact could be felt. Her magic had come back just in time to save both of their sorry asses.

Then he saw it again, that smile, that laugh, the one he had only heard once before when he had squashed the Sherriff into oblivion. She looked perfect then, on top of him, barely clad, and trying to gulp down her laughter at this ridiculous situation.

Robin did not know what was happening to him, he should not feel anything and yet he felt so strongly he was very tempted to simply ask her if she had set some sort of enchantment on him. An enchantment that enabled him to feel, but it was only for _her_, only when _she_ was around and he was in _her_, with _her_.

She could not transport them both, of that he had been almost sure of even before she voiced it. But a second later he was being engulfed by purple smoke and before he knew it they were just outside her castle.

_Why?_

Well, he _had_ helped her quite a lot that day, but since when did she think about the comfort of anybody but herself? It was just as odd as was the feelings swirling in his chest so Robin chose to ignore it, as well as ignore her usual pack of insults, they had parted their ways and that was it.

Robin had thought things would go back to normal after this episode, she would scream, he would retort, they would narrow their eyes in hate and eventually would end up having sex with half their clothes still on on one or other unconventional surface.. But apparently not, for one she was nowhere to be found. Robin, however refused go after her, or even acknowledge that after three days of absence he was worried. Maybe she was on her lady days, maybe she really just wanted to be left alone. Maybe he should not care at all about her whereabouts or wellbeing.

On the fourth day whilst coming back from her chambers - he had made it a habit of going there to see if she had come back every morning - he came upon the only other person in the whole castle who did not seem to be in the armed forces nor staff beside the Queen. The tired looking bald man he had seen the Queen smile at when she made her "Kill Snow White" speech, Robin halted to regard him.

The man had his head down and a funny walk, small steps and yet weirdly taken. He had just passed Robin by, just disappeared around the corner of the corridor. The old man passed him by without giving him so much as a single glance, it was then that Robin decided to call after him.

"Oi!" he could hear the man's steps stop abruptly; Robin turned on his heel and took several steps until he found said man, who was just around the corner of the corridor. He looked rather petrified - thanks to Robin's harshness, no doubt - but he found he was far from caring about the man's heart condition. Robin examined him; his timeworn eyes still stared at the cold stone of the floor, his hands clutched together on his back. Finally, Robin asked, "Who are you?"

He looked up then, had very expressive eyes, there was something oddly familiar about this man's eyes. They were dark but tired, Robin could have sworn he had seen the likeness of them before, but could not remember when. He was also able to register the man was rather intimated by Robin's approach, terrified if anything else.

"I'm-" he stuttered, "-Prince Henry of the North kingdoms"

_Prince?_

"Prince?" the man looked more like a butler than a Prince, _he must have been jesting_, Robin mussed, "If you are a Prince then what the hell are you doing here?" he inquired arching one eyebrow and crossing his arms about his chest.

"I'm here to serve the Queen, just like you." he said simply, no trace of royalty in his manner.

"But the Queen banished all the nobility from the castle." Robin told him, looking at the old man suspiciously, "How come she kept you? A Prince nonetheless."

The man opened his mouth to respond but no sound came out as another voice reached both their ears, _her_ voice.

"Daddy!" he heard her distinguished voice call out.

Robin's eyes felt like they were going to pop out of his skull, when the meaning of her words hit him.

_Daddy?_

He heard her footsteps, the clinking of her excessively high heels against the polished stone, she was getting near and the man turned to face her as Robin felt his body tense at her presence, an uneasy feeling pooling on the pit of his stomach. This was not what he had planned for today.

"Daddy, I'm-" she came into his line of vision - as he was just around the corner and could not be seen by anyone coming up that corridor until they reached said corner - and stopped speaking abruptly, her eyes also widening, a faint blush could be traced on her cheeks.

She sneered when spotting him, "_You_"

'Daddy', lowered his head ever so slightly and said facing the floor again "Your majesty"

Robin knew he should have followed suit and greeted her as even her own father did, but he was too busy sending back the death glare she was giving him. Their eyes locked, for a moment none of them seemed to be breathing. She cut the silence.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"I live here" he retorted not in the mood for her little games - although most of those games ended up with his cock buried inside her, which was not bad AT ALL.

He felt like pressing another matter against her though, "This is your father?" he questioned, his voice going a tad higher than he had hoped it would as he her motioned to the old man.

Her gaze became more intense whilst she responded, "I cannot see how it is any of your business."

"I-" but Robin honestly did not know how to get back at that.

_How was it any of his business anyway?_

And yet-?

She groaned and rolled her eyes at his failed attempt to retort, she waved her hand whilst dismissively saying "Out of my sight" and Robin was transported via her irritating magic smoke out to the forest just outside the castle.

He felt his blood pumping hot and fast in his veins

_Damn her_

...

A week went by and things seemly went back to normal. That was if anybody could call this absurd arrangement normal. The frantic searches for Snow White continued as the Queen became more and more impatient with the fruitless attempts of her men to find the damned girl.

Only in this past week, she herself had killed three more captains. That accursed mirror had revealed to the Queen that her prey had been hiding in a village the three men had decided to ride by without inspecting, afraid of the werewolf that was said to terrorize it. She had also ordered him to kill five more who had had a drunken night near King Midas' kingdom. Snow White had been spotted there by a snitch who sold his information to the Queen. He had sworn he saw the girl in the same village as her men had had their tipsy rendezvous.

But _no_, things had definitely not gone back to normal, because ever since their almost death experience, the Queen had not let him near her. She had basked in her right to order him around in front of her men and push him around and insult him as much as she always did when they were alone. And yet she would not let him even think of getting near her. She had contracted the annoying habit of puffing him as further away from her as possible when he so much as gave her a heated glance or made any sort of comment regarding their intimate time together.

And it was getting to Robin's last nerve.

It felt as if they had gone back to square zero. Not even square zero for when he met her she had been rather inviting when it came to physical contact. Now this inexplicable coldness was driving him up a wall and not just because he was deprived of the sex but-

_No_

It _was_ because of the sex and _only_ because of that, he did not feel anything else toward that woman other than lust and hate. He refused to acknowledge he felt anything other than those two feelings for that woman. It did not make sense for him to nurture any other sentiment for her. Plus he did not possess a heart, felt so little about everything, every memory, every action, every regret. How in the world was _she_ able to make a storm of feelings burst inside him?

But what pushed his very last button was the engagement ball. Not that Robin really gave a flying fuck about his post and obligations. But he gathered she had failed to inform him of such an event, that she was planning to head to, just to spite him.

He had found out about the whole affair whilst walking by two soldiers who conversed about the event. Apparently, she had assembled quite a number of soldiers and knights to escort her to this event in King Midas' kingdom.

Robin was not on the list

Robin was fucking furious

He caught her just as she was entering her carriage, he stormed through the men that encircled her trail. Soldiers and knights alike had opened up the space for him to get through upon sight, knowing too well not to anger him, he had, after all, become the Queen's executioner amongst other things. She was just about to fully close the door of the dark carriage when Robin placed his foot in between the door and the frame and grabbing the handle quickly to reopen it.

When he yanked the door open Robin was met with the sight of her, still clutching the handle on her side, body brought slightly out and a face that spoke of pure irritation.

Robin could not help but smirk and quickly slithered himself inside the carriage closing the door behind him. He took a seat right in front of her, she was all clad in black - which Robin found odd for the type of festivity she was heading to but was not at all surprised she should wear such a color. She placed her hands neatly upon her lap, a scorn painted on her red lips, she regarded him with cold dangerous eyes.

"Forgive me your majesty, I'm late-" he said in the smuggest tone that he could manage making himself comfortable on his seat. He slumped his body a little down on the cushion, trying to draw any reaction from her cold eyes, "-but I think my invitation must have gotten lost in between messengers" he completed; disappointed that she had remained immobile and unresponsive to his actions.

He knocked on the window separating the inside of the carriage to the seat of the driver and the vehicle started to move.

After a few more minutes of silence, she inhaled slowly moving as little as she could and said in a grave tone "What the hell do you think you are doing?"

Robin tried to look surprised "Why, my job of course!" he gave her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "As captain of your personal guard I must make sure you are _safe_." he spat he word 'safe'.

"I do not remember summoning you for this particular journey." her tone was still serious and her face gave nothing away.

"And I don't remember telling you I would answer to your every summons." he spat back, eager to draw something from her.

She narrowed her eyes and snapped, "I do not want you here"

He gave her a half grin and brought his torso closer to her static one, her posture was absurdly straight, she inhaled at his closeness "Now, now, we both know that's just, not true."

"Don't try my patience outlaw, or else-" she threatened but he cut her off before she got a chance to complete her sentence.

"Or else what?" his voice had risen louder than he had planned but it did yield some effect upon her for she gave a small jump on her seat, widening her eyes.

"I am done with this conversation-" she said in a final tone and raised her hand in a movement he knew only too well that was meant to transport him as far away from her as possible.

But Robin was not having any of that today. In a purely impulsive move - for he knew nothing he could do would actually stop her magic - he grabbed the wrist of her raised hand into one of his own strong ones and said with all the anger and frustration that had bottled themselves up inside him for this past week, "But _I'm_ not done your majesty"

She looked absolutely out of sorts, his grip tight on his wrist as nothing whatsoever happened, no cloud of smoke, no sparks of magic just the zapping sensation rushing through where their fleshes met. For a long moment they regarded each other without so much as a word, his intense stare burned into her widened and surprised dark eyes, her mouth opened and closed twice but she did not manage to utter a single word.

Robin realized after a while that he had come to sit much closer to her due to his abrupt actions. He let go of her hand tossing it to her lap but did not leave her personal space, their knees now brushed against each other.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" he asked in a questioning half whisper.

She inhaled closing her eyes and responding in a quiet yet distant tone, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Oh, I think you do-" he responded in the same intensity as her.

She snapped her eyes opened and retorted, "Well, not everybody is like you and can hardly keep it in their pants" her words meant to cut but hollow.

"That is not what I meant-" he tried but she beat him to it.

"Of course it is, what else could it possibly be? You're petty and grumpy because I haven't let you touch me ever since-" but now it was Robin's turn to interrupt her

"Do you think that I-" he raised his voice to cut her but she was already overlapping his remarks herself.

"I do not think of _you,_ outlaw. At all!" her words pure poison, she was almost screaming at him at this point, their faces had grown impossibly near, their noses almost brushed against each other.

"Liar!" he threw her way before even thinking. Deep down he wanted to believe his words were true, that she did think of him, even though she drove him to the breaking point most of the time.

Her reaction was as quick as his remark had been as her right palm came in contact with his left cheek in a stinging and forceful slap. It was a potent hit that created a little distance in between their bodies as Robin's face turned to the other side and the Queen retreated herself to rest her back on the back of her seat promptly after. The sound of her action reverberated through the carriage and the sensation - pain mixed with electricity - sent piercing needles through his veins.

He looked up at her to find her wide eyed, with her slapping palm hovering over her lap, her mouth slightly agape. If the driver had chosen a bumpy round to travel through that day, neither of the occupants of the carriage seemed to notice.

Robin could feel his cheek sting on the account of the Queen's outburst but all he could do was stare down at her palm that had reddened a little over the same reason. He could sense her gaze diverge from her palm and look at him with intensity. Robin found himself on the verge of giving up ever understanding the reasons behind this woman's actions.

But then he saw her body shift from her undoubtfully painful straight pose, his gaze did not shift from the hand as it moved ever so slowly, fingers slightly apart, she brought it up until he could finally see her face, her expression one of pure puzzlement.

Robin's features were hard and stern as he continued to regard her. He could hardly contain his own astonishment when she sat further to the edge of her seat placing both her legs in between his. She brought her hand to rest upon his offended cheek. As soon as the interaction was made Robin was able to feel the tingling sensation, it felt oddly different, soothing somehow but intense at the same time.

Upon the contact, the Queen gasped but did not retreat her hand, and Robin had to wonder if she too felt that inexplicable sensation, she must have.

"But, how-?" she gave a mere whisper, touching his cheek ever so lightly with only the pads of her fingers.

The urge to close his eyes was stronger than his reason and he gave into it even though he could expect the very worst from her at this moment. But the light touch made him drowsy, clouded his judgment, he could feel she had brought both her palms to feel his cheeks, her touch tentative almost as if she was afraid of something.

"How is this possible?" he heard her whisper, he could feel her breath so very close to his face and licked his lips subconsciously.

Robin was honestly expecting everything from her but this, and yet it was the most logical thing for a normal person to do in a situation such as this. But she was not ordinary, not by a long shot, so when her soft lips brushed against his slightly parted ones, Robin - for the very first time - had no reaction to her actions whatsoever. He rather basked in the few moments when her lips closed about his bottom lip, tentatively so, as if kissing him for the very first time, as if they were not familiar with each other's flesh at all. She then proceeded to lay a small kiss on the corner of his mouth sighing, drawing an involuntary moan from him, her lips lingering close to his own after doing so, her nose brushing lightly against his cheek.

He opened his eyes then, she was even closer than he had imagined, her knees touched the edge of his seat in between his parted legs, her face a breath away from his, her eyes sparkled.

Their exchange was interrupted by one of the valets who knocked on the door - Robin felt like cutting the man's hand off - to announce they had arrived at King Midas' summer palace. The Queen - as if on cue - retreated from him and dropped her hands from his features, his skin immediately missing the warmth of her own.

She straightened her posture and adjusted the - ridiculous - head piece she was wearing, taking one deep breath before shooting him one of her glacial looks and saying,

"Do not dare and follow me"

Robin was still a little taken by the odd exchange that had just happened. He did not manage to react in time, for she quickly opened the door to the carriage and stepped out banging it closed as she went. The vehicle started to move right after her departure and Robin did not think twice - after getting his wits about him again - before he opened the door, and jumped out of it, even though it was still on the move.

He found himself just around the corner of the main entrance to the castle, but Robin was not stupid enough to even attempt to enter the party through that path. Instead, he decided to take his time and have a look around the half-golden castle from the outside.

He hated this kingdom; it brought him memories of the very worst times of his life. The gold that seemed to be everywhere was a constant reminder of how utterly selfish he had been over a year ago, and of how much it had cost him. Robin did not think he would ever return to this kingdom again, and truth be told, he did not even connect the dots when hearing about the Queen's journey to this particular patch of land, having been too enraged at her childish behavior.

Robin cursed the fact that the night looked so utterly perfect, the moon - almost full - shone brightly upon the garden's golden statues. He could also spot there were several golden flowers as well as entire trees. The soft waltz that played in the ballroom could be heard from the garden as well as the laughter of the young couples who twirled to it. The night air was pleasant, a nice cold breeze would rush by from time to time. Not a cloud in the sky, it was filled to the brim with stars.

The whole scene made Robin sick to his stomach.

His head was so filled with thoughts of his latest argument with the Queen and also a vast set of bad memories, that Robin did not even notice he had come upon a man sitting on one of the golden benches until the man himself spoke,

"Enjoying the party?" the man did not sound like he himself was doing so.

He halted his paces as soon as the voice reached his ears to inspect the man. He had blonde hair and blue eyes just like Robin, but unlike him, the man's did not carry weight or darkness, they were light, kind and sad. He was sitting leaning forward with his elbows rested on his knees; he was big, a little bigger than Robin but looked absolutely miserable.

"I'm sure I would be-" Robin replied, "-if I had been invited." Robin did not wear a knight's uniform but rather his own clothes but he was sure the man must have noticed the bow on his back signaled he was no guest in this party.

"Are you crashing then?" the man asked seeming curious, this man was most definitely a guest, his rich garments betrayed him completely, and yet the he looked very out of place.

"No, just doing my job" Robin said simply, nearing the man who looked at him with interest, "I came in with _the_ Queen" there was a hint of irony in the way he uttered 'the' and the man chuckled.

"You mean king Leopold's widow?" he inquired

"The very same," Robin breathed out; only thinking about her was making him tired, "You know her then?"

The man let out a puff of air widening his eyes a little before answering, "Yes I do" his eyes trailed off as if remembering, "She is quite unforgettable"

"You can say that again," Robin commented, leaning against a golden tree, feeling at ease conversing with this man, for some odd reason he felt he could trust, "Try working for her, you'll never be the same"

The man straightened his posture for the first time and gave Robin a soft smile; he brought both his hands to his face and inhaled deeply scrubbing them about his features. He exhaled and hung his head in defeat and asked after a beat.

"Are you married?"

"I was once" Robin replied, missing the pang he had always felt on his chest at the mention of his married life, now nonexistent.

"Did you-" the man's head rose up to look Robin in the eye, "-did you love her?"

This was definitely the very last thing he would expect a noble to ask of him but Robin replied in truth, "More than anything in the world."

"Were you matched?" the man asked, Robin frowned and he tried again, "Was it arranged? Your marriage."

"No, no it was not." Robin replied, "I actually stole her _from_ her arranged marriage."

"Oh, I see-" the man trailed off.

The wheels inside Robin's mind turned as he asked, "Is this _your_ engagement party?"

"Mine alright, to a woman I have known for three whole days and cringes every time I take her hand." he replied looking out in the direction of the big windows through which the ball could be seen.

"Are you afraid of marrying a stranger or is there someone else?" he asked not really knowing why he should ask or care but feeling pity for the man.

"I-" he started but closed his mouth, "There is somebody else but-" he stopped again, "I hardly know her as well, but she is-"

"She's what?" Robin inquired

"Like no woman I've ever met, she's bold and seemly fearless, add to that her history, it's quite amazing that she managed-" but the man stopped speaking suddenly as if the air had been stolen from his lungs.

"I take it she's not on the short list of your wedding candidates then?" Robin tried to humor

"Definitely not" he told Robin with a nervous chuckle, "but I just felt-"

"You felt what?"

"It's quite tricky to explain, I never tried to put it into words." He said in all earnest.

"Try"

"When I was with her, it was different; I felt this overwhelming sensation on my-" Robin could see the young man was having major difficulties in explaining himself.

"Did you lie with her?" Robin tried, "Because if you did, what you felt is called an erection, it's quite normal."

"No, of course not, we didn't even kiss-" he replied looking gravely at Robin, who was staring to get quite feed up with this conversation. But then he continued, "Whenever I would take her hand I felt-" he took in a large intake of breath, "-electricity." He hung his head, "I know it sounds crazy but I have not been able to forget that spark ever since. It was an odd electric feeling when we touched, it was not a bad sensation, it was just _different_. Like nothing I had ever experienced before." the man finally finished.

To say Robin was gap face shocked was very little for he knew only too well what that 'electricity' felt like. And knowing now that other people had also experienced it set his mind running with a million questions.

But before he could voice any of them the man rose from his seat and said,

"But I should not bother you with my troubles, it's impossible for me to be with her-" he was already passing Robin by, heading back to his engagement party, back to his sour faced fiancé and a promise of a loveless life.

Robin placed his hand on the groom- to-be's shoulder before he could take another step and told him,

"Find her-" the man turned back to face him with a puzzled look in his eyes, "Find the woman that makes you feel that way, and when you do, never let go."

The man frowned at him but nodded, Robin released his shoulder and watched as he disappeared about the golden trees.

Robin himself simply stood there for a few minutes not quite sure of what had possessed him to say such a thing. He was sure of one thing, even against his better judgment and logic, every single word of that last remark rang true to him.

He could not let her go, would not let her go, he-

Her dark laugh invaded Robin's senses and for a moment he chose to bask in the rich womanly sound of her laugh. It was not the same as the one she had shown him back in the forest a week ago, this one was more controlled, more calculated.

He realized with a start that the laugher was not only inside his head but all around him, it was not a product of his imagination but the pestering woman herself. Robin was grateful for having had a lifetime of experience as a thief and being able to conceal himself quickly in order to spy on her conversation.

Because, quite frankly, Robin was rather curious to know who had been able to draw such a sound from this cold-blooded woman.

"...gina, you look quite fetching tonight." Robin heard a strongly accented male voice say, "I must say black does become you."

Robin heard the Queen hum before responding, "Aren't you full of flattery tonight?"

"I cannot help but speak my mind when I come upon the most beautiful woman in all the realms." Robin listened as their footsteps neared him.

_Who the hell was this guy?_

Robin had managed to climb one of the trees; it was not mighty but had heavy foliage, which assisted in concealing his presence and allowed Robin to see the pair. Were this one of the many golden trees, the branches he was leaning on would have snapped due to his weight, but since this was one of the only ordinary trees, Robin did not have to worry about anything snapping.

The Queen came into his line of vision followed by a man Robin disliked at first sight. She had that regal annoying way of walking she always did; she had taken off her cape. The dress underneath it did her curves justice, a long tight black thing, sleeveless and tightly corseted about her waist; she was now wearing a pair black gloves that reached her elbows she did not have on whilst ridding the carriage. As for the man on her heels, he was rather tall and broad shouldered, but had a rather young face, Robin could guess he was in his mid-twenties.

The man wore a smirk on his face Robin did not like in the slightest. His last remark about the Queen's beauty had made his blood run faster and hotter in his veins and the way he was eying her was also not helping Robin in being composed.

"Ever the charmer" the Queen chuckled, there was a small smile playing on her red lips, "Don't forget it was _me_ who taught you all those nasty tricks, boy."

Robin was glad to see the man's - _boy's_ \- face go soar upon the Queen's words "You know I don't like it when you call me that" Robin could trace the accent as one used by the highlanders, the boy was far from home.

"And since when have I cared about your feelings Jamie?" she lifted one of her perfect eyebrows, "Plus, that's how I will always see you dear."

"I'm not a lad anymore" the man was quite affected by the Queen's words, clearly, still a lad regardless of his words against it.

"Oh really?" she moved from her spot facing him to walk towards a golden pillar. Robin accompanied the sway of her hips with both delight and dread, he knew for what she used that particular brand of movement.

She turned back to face the man – who had his profile turned to Robin – and leaned her back against one large golden pillar, both her palms resting against its surface.

Robin could see the man's gaze ravage the Queen and contemplated upon cutting this little conversation short, - or maybe the lad's ears off - not liking where it might lead. The man kept his hands clutched together on his back though - which came to some relief for Robin - as he approached the Queen.

"A lot has happened since you last saw me." Robin felt uneasy since he could not see the man's face anymore, but only the Queen's smirking at his words.

"Indeed" she purred, "But I bet none of your wee lassies have been able to do justice to your prior experiences in my castle" she was smiling, broadly with that evil malicious glimmer in her eyes.

The man's journey toward her had not halted whilst she spoke, if anything became hastier with her words. When she stopped speaking, he was suddenly half pressed against her frame, one of his hands placed at her hipbone. He brought his lips to the shell of her ear and whispered something Robin was not quite sure he wanted to hear.

When the lad finished speaking, the Queen's smile had somehow broadened, but Robin lost his reason when the sneaky boy bit lightly on the Queen's earlobe, to which she gave a small wince and replied with a slurry voice, "Are you trying to seduce me with my own tricks boy?"

"Is it working?" Jamie, his name was Jamie, Robin was sure to memorize it for he vowed to write it down in this boy's chest with several deadly arrows for touching her like that.

"It will take a lot more than _that_ to seduce me dear," her voice was low and sensual.

Robin's blood had gone from boiling hot to freezing cold seeing that she was encouraging this.

This pathetic excuse of a noble highlander trying to seduce her, she couldn't possibly be considering-?

_Could she?_

Was that why she had turned the cold shoulder on him?

_Was she-?_

_Did she-?_

Robin was unable to finish any of those thoughts; enraging jealousy ran through his veins like venom, making all the hairs in his body stand and his face burn.

These feelings and questions were utterly ridiculous and Robin knew it, he should not care, and yet he did, to the point of madness he cared if that damned woman who had turned his world upside down were to lie with another man.

Robin felt light headed and could hardly make out the boy's response "You know I'm always up for the challenge."

He subconsciously reached for his bow, his vision, however, was blurry, simmering rage prickled his every pore. Robin knew he was heartless, that it was impossible for him to have these feelings but he also knew rather well how it felt to feel maddening jealousy.

"Oh _that_ I know dear" she replied turning her head to the side to face the _boy_, he was significantly taller than her so she tilted her head slightly to meet his eye and brought her teeth to her bottom lip.

Robin's vision was painted in black spots, the red had been torn from his reality, all that had remained were dark tones, his pulse was strong and so quick he could feel it pump through his ears. He found it odd the couple did not discover him.

He did not know when, but suddenly Robin had an arrow on his grip, his fingers stroked almost maniacally the feathers at the end of the pointy weapon. His eyes were unblinking at the couple, wide and wild.

He watched as the boy brought his other hand to her chin and stroked it, running his thumb on the lip she had just bitten, the Queen looked eager and Robin could kill her for that.

"Was that a yes?" the boy asked, the fucking bastard sounded eager as fuck taking in a deep inhale of air as Robin observed his other hand squeeze the Queen's hip bone.

The sensation of hate and frustration that had invaded his being when finding out he had been knocked out by a young princess which had resulted in the mangling of her dead maid hit Robin again. Only now it was about a hundred times stronger, Robin felt like there was something fierce clawing at his chest.

"Give me your best shot" she replied with a raised eyebrow

_Shot_

_Shoot_

_Shoot Robin!_

The arrow made contact with the wood of his bow before his brain could register what his body was doing.

He aimed

The boy moved his hand - which had been resting on her hipbone - up, feeling up the side of her stomach, her ribcage – Robin could not breathe, _how was he breathing?_ – and finally palmed her breast through the fabric of her dress, she gave a questioning hum in response as he squeezed her sensitive breast.

Robin could hardly see straight at this point, sweat pricked his forehead, his aim indecisive, a battle of wills coming to pass inside his head.

_Shoot Robin!_

He saw through his clouded eyes the man's hand moved from her breast to rest on the column she was leaning her body against; it found its rest just beside her head. His other hand, however, was pulling her chin up, bringing her head to his in an act Robin vowed at that moment was only reserved for his lips alone.

The words: _Mine or no one else's_ rang in his ears, guided his hands, made his mind up, decided on his aim.

_Shoot Robin!_

He groaned in an animalistic voice "_Mine_" and the Queen's neck turned as soon as the word left his lips and their eyes met. Her eyes were wide and filled with surprise, dark, brown, her eyes were brown, he could see the brown, he could see the red on her lips as she gasped.

_Shoot Robin!_

Robin released the arrow looking her dead in the eye with unshed tears pooling inside his own.

…

**Yeah, I'm really gonna leave you guys there ;P Let me know what you think!**


	13. Found and Lost

_4 years ago _

"Oh Regina! Isn't this exciting?" Snow beamed.

"Yes dear, oh so very" Regina was not even trying.

"And to think that by this time tomorrow I will have already met the man who's to be my husband!" the 14 year old girl swirled around her room and Regina rolled her eyes when her back was turned to her.

They were in Snow's bedroom, she had requested that her stepmother help her choose a gown for the evening's ball and Regina had very little choice but to comply. So there she sat, on the girl's bed entertaining seven different fantasies of how she could kill said girl with the various objects scattered around the room, the usual false smile plastered on her face.

"Would you think red was too daring Regina?" she asked turning on her heel holding up a satin vivid red gown in front of her frame.

_You could not handle wearing red even if you were born again, brat._

"I'm sure it would look lovely on you Snow, but I do think your lord father would not appreciate such a bold color in this occasion. Don't you agree?" this act was becoming second nature to Regina, as if she were acting in a play for 24 hours.

"You're right," she said dropping the gown unceremoniously on the bed next to Regina, who ran her fingers through the soft fabric "What about the green? Father says it brings out the color of my eyes."

_Green, how fitting, just the color I turn whenever you speak._

"I don't know Snow. Haven't you worn that one to your last ball?"

_How did Regina even remember such a thing? _

"I think-" she rose from the bed wanting to cut this little friendly moment short, she went for the wardrobe "-you should wear the pearly white one." she picked up the dress from Snow's wardrobe, it was a champagne colored and embroidered with all types and shapes of pearls that created an unique design. The gown was a masterpiece, one of the most beautiful dresses Regina had ever seen. "If you want to impress your future husband, you have to wear your best dress."

The girl took the dress from Regina's hold and inspected it, "That is true."

She smiled at the dress and then back at Regina, she threw the garb on the bed and hugged Regina tightly around the waist "Thank you Regina." she said against her shoulders, she drew back putting her hands on her biceps and Regina had to fight to not finch away "What would I do without you?"

"Indeed." Regina managed, she felt sick, she needed to get away from this girl, she needed to be alone, "Now, dear, if you will excuse me," she pushed the girl away gently "I must also get ready for the ball, and you know it takes time."

"Of course" Snow said finally stepping away from Regina's personal space.

Regina headed quickly for the door before the brat asked her to also do her hair, "I will see you later, dear." Regina said as she walked through the door and out of that Snow White impregnated atmosphere.

_Calm down, calm down. Just breathe._

Regina concentrated on each step she took, trying to rail in all the bubbling hate she was feeling. Her magic - which she kept as a secret from all - was simmering from the tips of her fingers; she could feel the crackling energy of her emotions making purple smoke appear and disappear on her palms.

Normally the further she got from the girl, the better she would feel, the more in control of her magic she would be,

But this was no ordinary day.

Today was the day Snow was to be introduced to her husband to be, a union arranged from the moment the girl had been born. Her fiancé was a highborn lord, second son to a Duke from the Kingdoms farthest to the North, where the winters were fierce and so were the people.

Regina sent a silent prayer every night that Snow's groom to be were an old, awful man, who stunk of alcohol and treat her as a toy, an adornment he could play with. Just like Leopold treated Regina, as if she were a trinket, a pretty little thing he could use and abuse at leisure.

Regina then, learned he was only a few years the senior to Snow. Regina's wishes then changed to imagining a weak, thin, pale and ill faced adolescent with spots of red covering most of the flesh on his cheeks. In Regina's mind, he had a runny nose and could hardly climb a flight of stairs without having to catch his breath.

She would amuse herself with such fantasies of awful suitors, of men with smelly breaths who had infrequent bathing habits. If Regina had to marry into a nightmare, so would Snow. After all, she had been responsible for the demise of Regina's fiancé, her true love, the only man who could have made her happy.

Although it did not come as a surprise to her, when the entourage from the Highland kingdom arrived, that the suitor had none of the many flaws she had wished upon him. Regina stood from her high seat in the throne room beside the King whilst the young man knelled before them. Snow was just a step below her, next to her father; she was smiling so hard she wished the girl's teeth would crack. Regina took this opportunity to study the suitor.

He was handsome, far too handsome; he had an intense green coloring to his eyes, lined cheekbones and a strong jaw. He had a young face, had to be in his early twenties, only a few years older than Snow indeed, which made him a couple of years younger than Regina herself.

And although his face was young his body definitely was not. He was very tall, taller than Leopold - but then again, who wasn't taller than Leopold? He had broad shoulders, a strong torso and Regina could spot rather big arms beneath the thick layer of his cloth.

To make things worst he did not sport the noble manner of looking nor speaking, but had a friendly smile on his face and eager eyes for the brat Snow White. Of course, she was young and mildly pretty, Regina gathered any young man would be eager to get under those skirts-

_Oh_

Something malicious and incredibly mean slithered its way inside Regina's mind and she could not help but smile back at the young man in front of her.

She would have her revenge on Snow White.

One way or another, she would make that girl suffer.

...

The Northern party left two days after the ball, but the young man, Jamie, was to stay for a while longer. The extended invitation was given by Leopold himself, who insisted the boy stay so he could get to make Snow's acquaintance since they were to be married.

When that particular set of news reached Regina's ears she felt like her head was going to crack in two.

_How could life be more unfair to her? _

Apart from the fact that the young man was perfectly agreeable and excessively handsome, the brat would get a chance to get to know him before the marriage. The very same girl who had been the cause of Daniel's death was now given a chance to actually fall for her arranged spouse. Regina had not even had the chance to know the King's middle name before they had arranged a date for her to be married to the unbearable man.

However, Regina was confident in her plan, even though she chose to take things slowly. She accepted that Snow might end up marring the lad, but he would never be hers.

Regina was going to make sure of that.

…

She would start small, her first little intervention being on the third dinner they shared together. The young man's servants had prepared a special meal for the royal family, only the very best of his homeland's cuisine. The feast looked marvelous and succulent, even Regina was eager to try some of the new treats. She could spot the young man took great pride in everything about his culture and their customs as he explained to the princess how every dish was made and why.

As they sat, Regina smirked inwardly and allowed her magic to do the rest. With her hands beneath the table, she was able to send the spell Snow's way, it was a simple enchantment that altered one's palate. Regina had to hold back a laugh when Snow took a bite of the boy's favorite dish and immediately spat it back into her plate wincing with hot tears pooling on the side of her eyes.

Jamie looked disappointed and apologetic and Regina decided to continue in the food sabotage trail, which seemed to catch a hurtful spot for him. For the following number of nights the girl had assisted Regina's plans in insisting on tasting every single dish and promptly trying to school her features into something more agreeable. It was delightful for Regina to watch how clearly the young man could see through Snow's attempts and how disappointed she grew with each meal.

"Princess Snow, do not worry, you do not need to-" Jamie tried.

"Oh no, I insist, I want to," Snow replied with conviction, as if today's plate could not take her down.

The young man looked uneasy – already knowing the outcome of this - and Regina gave him a sympathetic smile as she chewed her food. The lamb his servants had made was absolutely divine, but of course, Snow would never know that.

As soon as the girl swallowed the meat - already with much difficulty - she looked slightly green.

"Snow? Dear? Are you feeling well?" Regina faked concern.

"I'm fi-" she started but stopped taking a deep inhale of air, she rose from her seat "Excuse me," and with that she bolted for the doors as fast as those twiggy legs could carry her.

Leopold - ever the concerned father - rose immediately after his daughter's departure. Regina and Jamie also rose, since it was the custom. Leopold only nodded towards the young man before following his daughter's path.

There was a small moment of silence as the two remaining guests at the feast stood side by side.

Regina eventually broke the silence, "The lamb was delicious," she said with a truthful expression, "Snow is just a very sensitive girl, please forgive her."

Jamie looked grateful for her words and gave her a half smile.

He looked slightly defeated, "It's my fault, I thought-" he started.

Regina saw a window and practically jumped at it placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it a little bit.

"It's not your fault dear," she said, he turned his whole body to face her, they were close, closer than it was appropriate but Regina could not care less, "You two just don't-" she ran her hand down his deliciously muscular arm until she reached his hand and took it, "You just need to get to know each other better."

She gave him a tight smile, which he reciprocated with a wide slightly relieved one.

...

But of course, things did not go so smoothly for the couple on the next day nor any other day after that. Snow's continued negative responses to the food her fiancé had to offer made them halt any attempts of having her try any different kind of cuisine. The girl was thoroughly upset and Regina - as a dutiful stepmother - was always there to listen to her.

"Oh Regina, I feel so awful" Snow whined.

"I know dear" Regina was braiding her hair, wishing she could pull off thread by thread.

"I do not understand, why does it-" she started, but Regina cut her short.

"Dearest, why don't you take him out for a horseback ride?"

The trip, however, was an absolute disaster.

Regina was not as cruel as her mother had been and did not enchant the horse to bolt. If she had, the young man would have probably done the heroic thing and rescued Snow's sorry ass and Regina did not want Snow playing the damsel in distress. Rather than doing that, she used her magic to make the horse stubborn and disobedient which made Snow's attempt to impress her husband to be fruitless. All she earned from him were pitiful smiles and empty kind words.

What Regina had not accounted for was the fact that Snow had grown quite frustrated with the situation and more precisely with her horse. She complained about the animal's stubbornness to her father and the awful man – who did everything in his power to please the infuriatingly spoiled girl – became resolute in sacrificing the beast, stating that they could not have such unbendable animals at their disposal.

Regina's heart sank upon hearing these news, true, she had by this point in her life killed a handful of actual human beings. But the thought of an innocent animal, let alone a horse – thoughts of her stable boy burned in her heart- , to die because of something that had not even been its fault, was unbearable. She was not able to school her features to hide her horror when the King announced that the beast was to be put to eternal sleep.

"No," she rose from her throne as quickly as a bolt of lightning and the whole court's eyes fell on her. Regina regained a little of her composure smoothing her hands about her skirt and continued, "My lord husband, I am sure killing the beast is not necessary."

Leopold regarded her and replied in his smooth yet completely unfeeling tone, "If the beast does not behave as my daughter wishes, it is of no use to her, therefore of no use to anybody."

His words cut deep and for a moment Regina had to wonder if _she_ was seen just like the poor horse the King was about to slaughter. That if she did not behave as expected, she would be discarded of, just like a broken toy.

It was at that moment that Regina realized that in order to get what she wanted she would have to stain her hands in Leopold's blue blood. In order to get back her freedom and to have Snow White to be utterly miserable she would have to get rid of the King permanently, just like he was planning on doing with the innocent horse.

Regina felt her dark magic awaken inside her and it took most of her will power to hold it inside and not finish the King's pitiful existence right then. But she could not, if she murdered the King in plain sight the people would turn on her, would never follow her, she needed a plan and a large dosage of patience.

But at his moment, she also needed a way to save the poor animal from death's clutches.

"My lord," Regina tried again, "I am sure that was only a bad day for the horse," she moistened her lips before continuing, "If you will allow me, I myself offer to test out the animal's willingness to obey."

The King studied her for a beat and Regina could feel the whole court's eyes burning on her, she could sense particularly the gaze of the young Jamie, whose eyes were wide with what looked like surprise and awe.

"I am not sure wife, I-" the King started,

Regina knew he was going to say 'no', so she threw in a disgusting card that made her want to vomit for days but that was bound to have a positive effect on her cause.

"Remember, my lord, that it was because of a stubborn horse that I was fortunate to make your acquaintance."

Regina tried her best to sound sincere but she was dying inside. Was all this suffering worth for the sake of a horse? Regina knew the answer to that in a heartbeat. Horses had become her personal symbol of strength and freedom. Plus, they reminded her so much of Daniel, she swore she could even feel his soothing presence whenever she would sneak out to the stables. Without mentioning that, it was _her_ fault that the animal was put in this position in the first place.

Leopold's eyebrows shot up and for a moment Regina thought she had put her foot in it, "You are quite right wife," he turned to some guard who stood nearest to the entrance doors of throne room and said, "Call the horse master, the Queen would like to see to Snow's horse."

And see to Snow's horse she did. Regina went to the stables accompanied by an unnecessary entourage of nobles and servants as well as the Princess – who looked petty and badly humored –, the King and the young man who had caused this whole mess.

Regina was fortunate to get a moment with the horse alone; already all dressed up to ride it.

She approached the animal who was blissfully unaware of the mortal danger it found itself in. She caressed its muzzle with an ungloved tender hand whilst she spoke, her tone soft, only meant for the animal she tried to soothe.

"I'm sorry," the animal acknowledged her with accepting and innocent eyes and allowed her to pet him, "I have put you in this mess but I won't let them harm you," she scratched it's forehead and continued, "I need you to be a good boy and do everything I ask, ok?"

Regina brought her free hand to her coat's pocked where she had hidden a couple of sugar lumps, just in case the little talk did not work, she could always bribe the animal with sugar. She took one treat and brought it up to the animal's mouth, who quickly devoured all the sugar on her hand.

She closed her eyes and touched her forehead with the horse's, one of her hands still caressing the side of its face and repeated, "Be good," she inhaled deeply and felt the strong presence of Daniel just behind her. A small smile crept about her lips; she knew she was doing the right thing for him. His presence soothed her soul and calmed her heart – which Regina had not realized was beating erratically on her chest.

With that, she led the beast from the stables into the plain sight of all those worthless people to whom she had to prove this innocent was still to be of use.

Thankfully, the horse, Toby - the stable hand informed her its name was Toby - performed perfectly. He obeyed to Regina's every command, jumped every single fence, stopped when it was told, remaining docile throughout the whole trial.

When Regina dismounted the horse, she could see Snow scolding, for now it was painfully obvious that the problem was not the horse but the rider. All eyes, however, were on the King. Leopold had very little choice but spare the animal, much to his daughter's annoyance.

"I do not want that horse anymore," she said in a tone of dismissal, "Regina, you can keep it if you are so found of him." She looked at Regina with arrogance and she felt like snapping her neck at the spot just for that look, "_Father_," she turned to her father with those set of mild doey eyes, "I want a new horse."

…

Regina made sure that since now Toby was to be hers, that the horse was well taken care of by the stable hands and was now kept in the stall next to Rocinante. Maybe the male company would do her mare some good. Heavens knew how much she herself craved male company but ever since that disastrous episode with Jefferson, Regina found it was best not to risk her heart getting involved with-

"Your majesty?" a strongly accented voice called out to her. Regina was making her way to her chambers after casting the illusion spell and sending her clone to Leopold's chambers. She felt sorry for her magical self, for Leopold was bound to be mad, for at the end of the day, his little girl had been contradicted and became sour after the whole horse affair.

Regina stopped and turned on her heel to find the source of the voice to be Jamie. He was still wearing the garbs he wore at dinner, and still as attractive as ever, for someone his age that was, which was something near Regina's age, which explained why she felt like tying him up and having her wicked way with him until he-

"Sir Jamie?" she greeted him bowing her head slightly and he took a couple more decisive steps, getting as near to her as he could without the loss of respect.

His boost of confidence in actually getting to her seemed to falter when her eyes met his. He looked slightly out of sorts, maybe a little bit nervous, "Milady, I mean, your majesty, I -"

"Yes?" Regina raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I just wanted to say that-" he swallowed before he continued, "-with all due respect to-"

"Just say it Sir Jamie," Regina urged him giving him a small sympathetic smile to which he huffed a nervous one.

"I thought it was very decent of you to do that for Princess Snow's horse." he told her looking down at his feet and then meeting her eyes.

Regina was momentarily out of words. Not in a million years would she expect a noble person to make such a comment, to side with _her_ nonetheless, especially when the person in question was engaged to the opposing party.

She, however, did not have to respond for he continued, "I feel somehow responsible"

"Responsible?" Regina was confused, "How so?"

"I do not think the Princess would have made such a fuss if I hadn't been witness to her-"

"Incapability?" Regina tried.

He gave her a small laugh, "Well, I would not have put it that way but, yes-" he moistened his lips before continuing, his tone slightly hushed, "You see, the Princess was quite upset about me seeing her-"

"Out of control?" this game was turning out to be rather fun for Regina.

"Well yes,-" he started fumbling with his hands which were grasped behind his back, "She kept on trying to convince me that the matter lay with the horse. That it was stubborn and was not even her own horse."

"How very mature of her," Regina commented dryly before she could hold back the biting remark.

It did not go by unnoticed by the young man in front of her who cleared his throat, "My point is, I'm glad you did something about it your majesty. Believe me when I say I wanted to have done the same thing but my position and station do not allow such liberties."

"Well, I did what I thought was right, for I know how _capable-" _there was an extra kick of sarcasm in the word 'capable', "-the princess is in her equestrian abilities." She winked at him and grinned.

He gave her a close-mouthed tight but sincere smile, which Regina could sense was to hide a laugh he was holding back.

"Would you like me to escort you to-" he prolonged the last word before asking, "Pardon mila, I mean your majesty, would you like some company on your way to wherever it is that you are heading to?" He gave her a nervous laugh.

This young man was quite intriguing, very raw in more than one sense of the word. Young and bold, seemingly untouched by malice or greediness - poisons which ran through the veins of noble people like a trademark. He seemed to be kind hearted and just. He was clearly not accustomed to the ways of her husband's court. Regina had to wonder if that had been the reason behind his agreement to stay behind whilst his whole family left. So he could learn the etiquette and be the perfect little husband Snow craved so much for.

He had no choice; his fate had been sealed as soon as baby Snow came into this world.

That thought spun Regina's head round and round, it had been so absurdly in her face and yet only now did she connect the dots. Jamie's situation was alarmingly similar to what hers had once been before she got married to the King.

_Did he even want this marriage?_

_Was there someone else back home weeping for their separation?_

Regina was suddenly very interested in the young man. True, he had been quite central in her plan of ruining Snow's happiness but now... Now she saw him in another light, one that shone so clearly in his vibrant green eyes, she wanted to-

No, she couldn't,

_Remember what happened with Jefferson, Regina. _

That had been nearly a year ago, and yet, every time the memory of it hit her, she could not help but feel a stinging sensation on her chest. That day she had felt _truly_ evil. A crying infant inside the crib, Jefferson's eyes filled with tears, as he could do nothing but scream for her not to do it. Nevertheless, she did it; she crushed the heart into dust and remained in the house to watch the after match until she was satisfied. That day her vengeance had been sated, that day darkness had feasted on her.

"Milady?" He snapped her out of her trance and kicked the floor swearing something in his mother tongue, "I'm sorry, I mean, your majesty"

She blinked her eyes a couple of times, her sight adjusting, "Regina, please, call me Regina-" his eyebrows shot up so high it was almost comical, "-in private in mean, Sir Jamie. You may call me Regina." He huffed a small laugh and she gave him a tight smile, "I do not care for titles at all." She completed, although Regina did not know why she had said that last bit aloud.

"Just Jamie then-" his smile grew, eager, as if he did not have a friend in the world, "-in private also, but please, just Jamie." He stuttered, but then with remarkable clarity delivered, "I abhor of titles, they are of very little meaning where I come from."

She leans into his personal space and says, "We have something in common then,"

"I guess we do." He replies in earnest.

"Well then-" she says as she takes his arm and resuming her journey to her chambers, he followed suit, straightening up his back at the contact, "- tell me why are you not in a first name basis with my step daughter then."

He gave a nervous laugh looking away from her and replied, "I do not know-" he then looked back at Regina seeming to have never actually considered the subject and continued, "-I guess we have not gotten to that stage yet."

Regina hummed and took a few moments to reply, "I'm sure you will-" she paused and clicked her tongue, "-eventually."

Jamie huffed at her comment and Regina was literally laughing inwardly at the brat; it would be a long shot for the little flake of Snow to win this man's heart. He clearly looked upon her behavior with something Regina could hope was utter disapproval. Regina could see he deemed her as if she were too childish – which she was – and maybe – if Regina was really lucky – unfitting to be his bride.

Several minutes passed in which neither spoke. The couple simply walked side by side, turning each corner, Regina guiding them towards her chambers, her arm still in his.

"But-" Jamie finally broke the silence, he was frowning now, squinting his eyes a little whilst questioning, "His majesty doesn't address you as Re-" he stops mid word and stumbles on his words, "I mean he-" he looked back at her, a sincere confused expression on his face, "Is he not supposed to?"

Regina gulped, feeling a small lump forming on her throat, this conversation was heading the wrong way, "Yes, he is" she replied simply.

By this point they had reached the doors to her sleeping chambers, a ward in the castle the King had forbidden the entrance of just about anybody without his knowledge. Leopold might have been uncaring of Regina as a person but he was most certainly possessive of his trophy wife. The only ones allowed in this corridor were himself, Snow, and a handful of loyal guards who patrolled and protected it.

Regina's very own personal prison, embellished with beautiful furniture, the most costly of dresses and astounding jewelry. However, none of that could blind Regina to what her reality was. She was a prisoner, bound by the shackles of marriage, no amount of comfort or riches could ever give her what she really wanted-

"Then why does he call you 'wife'?" he asked, his tone was now softer, which made Regina's chest clench.

They stopped at her door and Regina turned to face him and bid him goodnight wanting to finish this whole business. This was getting in too deep, too personal, stinging too close to her wounded heart. Regina opened her mouth to utter her farewell but her eyes went wide when she heard the sound of metallic armor.

_Guards, the guards are coming! _

How could she have been so careless? She knew Jamie was not supposed to be here but she had completely forgotten that the guards' rounds would take them to her door in this hour. She had been too distracted to remember they checked every single evening to ensure she was alone and miserable.

Regina's blood went ice cold, not knowing what would happen to either of them if they were discovered this close to her sleeping chambers alone. For a second she was frozen on her spot whilst Jamie frowned and looked back towards were the click clacking sound originated from.

They were too close, both the guards with their heads filled with duty and stupidity, and herself to this young man, who clearly meant no harm, who might even. Regina was terrified, her eyes wide, her heart felt as if it was beating on her throat and coming out of her mouth at any minute. When she finally managed to unfreeze, she grabbed his wrist with so much strength he turned startled to look at her. Her nails digging into his flesh, his mouth opened to protest, she could feel him try to draw back from her but it was too late.

When the pair of guards reached her door there was nothing there to be seen but the faint remainders of purple smoke that went by unnoticed by their tired eyes. They opened the doors to the Queen's chambers without knocking – as they did every evening – to find it empty, as it should be.

To Regina's mortification, the guards were told of when she were to perform her wifely duties. They would do their rounds around her room nevertheless, always searching for an intruder; the King's obsession with keeping Regina only to himself once frightened her to death.

As the years went by and Regina got more and more schooled in not only the art of dark magic but also in the art of deceit, she found the King's attempts to isolate her humorous. For even though he would do everything in his power to isolate her, Jefferson would slip in and out of the castle with ease and so would Regina herself on occasion. The guards would look for the Queen's lovers but she knew they would never find him, for Regina had always been much smarter and cunning than her husband and his stupid men.

Regina had never, however, used her magic with a stranger, specially a stranger who apparently had no experience with magic whatsoever. His lack of involvement with magic was quite obvious through his shocked expression, his complexion having gotten several shades paler.

She had managed to transport them to her hidden study and quite miraculously, none of them landed on the table that rested in the very center of the small room. It was packed with books and scrolls containing the most varied types of spells and potions.

The man, however, seemed not to care less about the books or the stuffy environment as he continued to stare at Regina wide eyed and unmoving. She swallowed, taking a deep breath before addressing to him.

"Jamie-" she started, at some point, her hand had released his wrist but she could see the half-moon marks her nails had left behind.

"What just happened?" he interrupted her, his face barely moved whilst he spoke.

"I-" Regina tried, she moistened her lips and said, "I had to get us out of there,"

"And how exactly did you accomplish that Regina?" he asked in a hushed voice, she felt a small amount of relief for he had used her given name and maybe, just _maybe_, he would understand. Maybe she would not have to immobilize him and give him a forgetting potion.

Regina opened her mouth to reply but the words were not cooperating, they got stuck on her throat. Jamie finally broke eye contact with her to look around the room. They landed just beside the book-filled table and he ran his fingers about the yellowed pages of one of her opened spell books.

Still examining the page he continued, "You can do magic then?"

"Yes" Regina breathed out closing her eyes, waiting for the worst.

He hummed in acknowledgement of her confirmation but said nothing else; she opened her eyes to see him turning a page on the book he had been studying.

"I did not know women of this part of the land could also do magic," he stated, his voice was quiet.

"You mean,-?" Regina tried, shaking her head, not believing she had heard him correctly, she was a little taken aback by his words.

"Yes,-" his head finally lifted so his eyes met hers again, his own carried much less shock and much more understanding now. "All our healers back in my home country are witches," he took one step towards her and continued, "Back there they do not have to hide their powers and abilities, they are just as much a part of our community as anybody else." He gave her a small smile out of the corner of his lips before finishing, "It was a witch who gave birth to me, as well as to all my brothers and sisters."

Regina did not realize her heart was hammering on her chest before he stopped speaking. She was silent for a few moments, looking back at him, she could not help but narrow her eyes a little in suspicion, this was clearly too good to be true. But Jamie's soft expression never changed, the fright of being teleported without warning had clearly worn out to give away to a look Regina rarely saw in anybody-

"I'm guessing the King does not know," he broke the silence yet again, and Regina could not help but gasp at the prospect of her husband finding out about her magic, it would result in her imminent demise, of that she was sure.

Jamie could clearly read her concerns and assured her, "I'm not going to tell Regina, he'll never know by me." He promised her.

Regina blinked and a single tear feel from each of her eyes, she did not even notice her eyes had been teary. How foolish she must have looked. Regina brought one hand to clean up the tears that were tracking down her cheeks. Her palm touched hot skin and she figured she must also be flushing.

_Wonderful_

"Thank you Jamie" she muttered turning away from him, trying to hide her fragility.

She could hear his voice respond from behind her, "It is not my secret to tell,"

Regina looked out of the tall but thin window that illuminated the small room – the only place Regina seemed to be able to be at ease – trying to clean up the remainders of her foolish tears whilst silence fell upon them. It was not an uncomfortable silence though; Regina crossed her arms about her chest feeling more relieved in that moment than she had in the longest time, she took the liberty to take a long and deep breath. She could register Jamie moving behind her, could hear the sound the paper made when he turned the pages, and could sense that she could trust this young man, that he meant no harm.

After a few minutes she heard Jamie question, "But _why_ did we transport us here?" she turned around to face him, he was leaning against the table regarding her, much closer than she had expected.

"Because of the guards" she explained simply.

The man frowned, as she knew he would, at her unclear response, "What about them?"

_He really did not know_

"Jamie,-" Regina started giving him a sad smile at his naivetés, "-the corridor that leads to my sleeping chambers is off limits to anybody but the King, his daughter and a handful of guards. Surely you know that, right?" she tilted her head to the side slightly when she was finished.

He clearly had no idea for he took in a surprised breath, his head coming backward a little bit at this new information, "I had no idea."

"Well, now you do," she said with finality, deciding on the spot to send him away to his chambers and end this odd exchange that had been going on.

The young man apparently was much more accustomed to magic than he had first appeared to be and upon seeing she raised her hand said quickly, "No! Wait!"

Surprised, Regina dropped her hand to regard him with curious eyes, "What is it?"

"Why?" he asks simply squinting his eyes.

"Why what?" Regina is confused, _where did he want to get with this?_

"Why does he treat you like-" he gestures with his hands unable to complete his question.

"A prisoner?" she completes, and it seems rather comic that she has been completing his sentences so much lately.

"Well, yes!" he says in a stronger tone of voice, he took another step in her direction; his demeanor had turned determined and slightly angered.

"Because I'm merely a possession to him, and men do not like having their trinkets spoiled." She spat, much more venom in her words than Jamie's ears deserved to hear, but he had asked after all.

Jamie shook his head at her words, "Surely that cannot be-"

"It is what it is Jamie, I have belonged to the King for six years now, been his luxurious prisoner ever since the day we got married, I-" Regina tried to explain, but the man did not seem to want to understand.

"This cannot be right. Is this the same kind of marriage I am getting myself into? Am I to be a caged husband?" he was suddenly irritated closing the distance between them, coming to stand only a foot away from her.

"I do not know, maybe it will be different in your case-" Regina tried, then it dawned on her, "Surely you can call off the engagement, you are a man after all, you have much more power of-"

"I cannot," he told her sadly, "I might be a man but the Princess is still of higher birth, she, and her father are the only ones in power to call off the union."

Jamie bit down his lower lip as Regina released a disappointed sigh, which drew his eyes from her own down to her lips. A small frown adorned his forehead whilst his eyes inspected her mouth; as if he had only noticed then she was so close. As if in reflex Regina's brown set also diverged to the man's mouth and then quickly back to his eyes.

"Jamie-" she whispered so quietly it sounded like a prayer as she leaned forward, closing the distance between their lips.

With his eyes still glued to her lips, Jamie met her halfway and their mouths collided in a tentative kiss. Regina did not know what on earth had possessed her to act in such a way, but there she was, kissing the young man promised to her loathed stepdaughter, something she had told herself again and again not to do. But still his lips moved against her own in a closed mouth but intense exchange, she could feel a groan vibrate from the back of his throat. His lips felt excessively different from the other sets Regina had pressed her own against, meaty and so soft she could not help but bite down his lower lip herself when she finally drew back.

She felt light headed when she finally was able to draw her lips from his. She did not, however, extinguish the proximity the kiss had created. She placed one hand above the spot in his chest where she knew the man's heart lay; it pounded furiously against her palm. She fixed her gaze there, fiddling with the fabric, suddenly a little embarrassed by what she had just done.

"Regina-" he brought one hand to her hair to stroke it tenderly, "Regina we cannot do this-" he took a loose lock away from her face and placed it behind her ear.

Regina's head snapped at his actions and with a defying tone she asked, "Why can't we?"

"Because-" his hand moved to her chin, his eyes wandering to her lips for a beat before focusing in her eyes again, "-the King, he would-"

Regina did not let him finish, saying in between clenched teeth, "Fuck the King" her hand, which had rested until this point on his chest, now fisted his shirt, bringing him closer.

He groaned and the hand that had been on her chin went quickly to the nape of her neck and he pulled her swiftly into another kiss. This one was edging on desperate, as if both were letting out all of their frustration with the act. Their tongues met in between moans and groans, it was messy and wet but neither of them seemed to mind, it felt divine and freeing. Both Regina's hands fisted on his shirt and while Jamie buried his fingers in her hair, messing up her meticulous updo.

After a few minutes of heated kisses they pulled apart and Regina regarded him with a smirk and did not resist letting out, "I bet you don't get to kiss that little flake of Snow like that," she bit her lower lip after her bitchy remark.

"Try not at all," he said in an amused tone lifting both his eyebrows.

His words had an immediate effect on Regina, who released a laugh she felt was being held back for the longest time. She buried her face on his chest and laughed and laughed.

Stupid, foolish Snow, if only she could see what her fiancé was up to, where his hands were wondering and that her dear stepmother had had a taste his lips. She left like crackling, a strange kind of pleasure filled Regina's chest with those thoughts. For even though Snow was clearly not head over heels in love with this man, she still saw him as hers – like her father saw her as his possession. But Jamie was no such thing. Would never be. Regina would make sure of it, not only for her revenge's sake but also for him, he deserved better than being that spoiled brat's boy toy.

As Regina lifted her face from his chest, she could see him smile down at her; she placed both her hands on his cheeks and brought his soft lips back to hers. Jamie on his turn responded quickly to the kiss and managed to spin them around bringing his hands to her waist. He started moving forward, each step he took she would mirror with one blind step back, never breaking the kiss, until her behind touched the edge of the wooden table.

When that happened Regina moaned against his lips and brought her hands down to his neck, his own clenched at the covered flesh of her hips. His tendons pressed roughly into her corset and Regina suddenly felt there was far too much fabric in between their skin.

His hands gripped tighter and suddenly Regina's feet lost their contact with the floor and her arse found the surface of the table. She opened her legs instantly in order for Jamie to situate himself in between them; she then noticed she was half sitting on an opened book.

She broke the kiss and smirked at him as she lifted her hand and let her magic do the rest. Jamie's eyes went wide when all of the books, which had rested upon the table, started moving on their own. They were magically lifted from the table and just like birds, beating their pages, flew to their correct places in the numerous shelves that covered the walls of the small room.

Regina looked back to admire her small handy work with pride and then turned back to face him, his lips were reddened, sore because of her kisses. Her chest swelled with pride, she could not help but place one teasing kiss on the very corner of his mouth. She traced her mouth sensually about his cheek until she reached his earlobe and gave it a small nibble, which drew a wince from him.

She slurred quietly then, "You know what I think?" she lifted one of her knees teasingly seeing shivers run across his body. She did not give him time to respond though, "I think-" she continued, "-we have far too many clothes on."

…

From that day forward a strange bond was created between Regina and Jamie. They became lovers, fervent ones. That night Regina found out just how attractive Jamie really had been - even more so under his garbs, with toned muscles and strong arms with an impressive manhood – but also that he lacked experience.

However, Regina was more than happy to assist him in that department. Having been involved with a man outside her marriage once before – which turned out to be a disastrous experience – it was fairly easy for Regina to maneuver her affair about her husband's well-guarded castle.

She taught Jamie every secret passageway – the ancient ones she had discovered on her lonely late night explorations and also the ones she had created herself – every hidden dead end corridor – from which she could simply puff them both from – and every escape route she knew of.

Not only that, but Regina made sure to teach the young lad how to please not only her but also himself. She took great pride in helping him discover his body, his needs, and his preferences. Other than that, Regina showed him how to tease the senses, how to arouse with only minimal contact, and how to bring one's partner to the edge.

It had been something she had learned from that bastard Jefferson; at least the idiotic sod had been useful in _that_ department. Although sometimes Regina looked back and thought he stole the little that had been left of her innocence with his wandering hands and heated kisses. But with the loss of that, he had really opened Regina up to herself, and for that, at least, she was thankful for – it was probably the only reason why he was still alive after what he had done.

And although their nights together and sexual escapes were heated and sometimes addictive, the nature of their relationship could not be described with the word 'romantic'. Regina had loved Daniel with all her pure heart, did not think it possible to love anybody else in that sense ever again. She had loathed Leopold from the moment they had tied the knot and he had pressed those disgusting lips to hers. Her relationship with Jefferson had been a turmoil; far too long, with far too many mixed feelings, from both parties and most of them unalike, plus an unhealthy amount of deceit.

She liked Jamie, the more time they would spend together the more Regina would like him. He was a bit rough around the edges, a far cry from sophisticated, completely different from her, but somehow, they understood each other. It was odd that Regina never felt the wild flower of love blossom in her heart for him. She felt protective of him, almost like a little brother, if ever you fucked your sibling, a feeling that always brought tormented thoughts to her head as to what exactly she was doing with this young man. For some time, she believed herself incapable of loving, that her heart had built an invisible barrier around itself in order for her not to break it anymore.

It took Regina a while to realize Jamie was just a friend she happened to fuck. They most certainly had similar interests when it came to each other's naked body, understood they were both in very similar situations so the best way to pull through it was to stick together. But they both knew that love was not meant for them and that prospect suited the pair just fine.

Before they knew it, a year had passed and Jamie was still to return to his homeland – he was to wed Snow on her 16th birthday, which was to happen in the next year. Regina had decided to stop her pranks and mischiefs in order to separate the couple, for now she was certain he disliked the princess. Had heard the very words out of the horse's mouth only three days after that fateful night inside her study.

It had been a good year for Regina; she had felt like a misbehaving teenager for most of it, something she could only recall to feeling before back when she had been with Daniel. She would sneak around with the young man every chance they got, brush his legs with her silk covered foot under the dining table, daring even to tease him with her hand when they were placed sitting side by side.

To the outside viewer his relationship with Snow improved, but it was all an act. Regina would supply him with enough information so he knew exactly what to say and what to do to please the sodding brat. But in reality he despised the girl, even more, he started to hate her father for now he saw the true face of the benevolent King and what he did to his 'beloved' Queen.

…

It had been a mistake, Regina knew it, and she was being foolish if she was to believe that it would not create any consequences. She had been so careless, so happy to finally be left alone that she did not think of what might happen.

The King had decided to make a last minute journey to a neighboring kingdom in need, _ever the benevolent_, Regina thought sarcastically. But she could not have been more satisfied with this departure for he also chose to take Snow along with him, leaving both Regina and Jamie behind.

Regina was watching the entourage leave in one of the many lounging chambers the castle possessed. She stood at the balcony, the afternoon Sun was shining so bright it stung Regina's pupils but she did not care. As she watched her wretched husband leave with his insufferable daughter, she could not help but release a relieved breath.

That week had been particularly trying for Regina. Snow seemed to be breathing down her neck every second of the day asking her about this or that, which ribbon did she think sir Jamie would favor and it was driving Regina up a wall. Leopold had requested her presence in his chambers almost every evening and that cloning spell made Regina grow weary every time she used it. As a result, she had been doing poorly in her magic lessons, being too tired to be able to perform to the imp's standards. That week he decided to go a step ahead in memory spells with her, he had so far only taught her about memory potions but because of her drained condition, Regina had not been able to master it.

Then, she had had a breath of fresh air, her husband had heard his late wife's kingdom was in need and decided to go there himself and take the brat. Plus, he had not asked for her company in the evening prior to his journey, and Regina had finally been able to rest.

She felt a surge of new energy rush through her veins as a chilly wind coming from the east made contact with her delicate skin. As she brought her eyes lazily to the gardens down below her, she was startled to see two figures climbing the walls of the castle. One was clearly heading towards the balcony she now occupied and the other climbed even higher in one of the east towers of the castle, the one which housed her bedroom.

Curious, she looked up at the figure climbing further from her, the one that was now a few feet away from reaching one of the windows of her bedchambers. She could not see his face, a dark green hood concealed it, but she was almost certain it was a man. A strange pang hammered in her heart as Regina watched the man with keenness, it was alarming and something Regina could not trace to ever feeling before. But still, she observed as he reached her opened window and slipped inside her chambers with ease.

She then brought her attention back to the man who was making his way towards her and was startled to discover he was almost reaching her balcony.

Regina drew away from the fence at the terrace startled and pondered upon what she should do. She could use her magic and make both meet their crashing demises in the grounds of the castle. But she could not bring herself to be so heartless, she did not even know who they were, plus her curiosity would always get the best of her. She had to know why they were there.

She could call the guards, but apart from that being the most boring of options, it would quite certainly result in both their decapitations, unless they had a very good and official excuse for climbing the walls of the castle and entering her royal chambers. Regina had a niggling feeling that they did not.

So Regina ended up choosing to hide and see what it was that these men sought in her husband's castle. Her heart raced and not only with that odd pounding but out of anticipation, she had been sneaking around for the good part of that past year but this was another kind of excitement altogether.

She watched eagerly as the man swiftly climbed the balcony and his feet landed on the stone floor of the room. He pulled his hood from his face to reveal young features, maybe a couple of years younger than Regina. He was thin and tall, had big ears that stood out even more because of his short haircut, thick eyebrows and eyes filled with youth and enthusiasm, as dark as her own. He was seemly very agile for he quickly scanned the room and went to work.

_A thief_

Of course, he was a thief, who else would climb the walls of a castle, if not a thief? The man feasted his hands on the silver on display that had been resting on one of the many small tables that were scattered around the room. He stuffed the objects unceremoniously inside what appeared to be a flour sack he had produced from his small bag. He had his back turned to her and Regina could register he was clad in very dark leather jacket. The man muttered as he worked but Regina could not make out his words until he gave a small cry upon finding something on the floor.

"Oh, this one is for my Ana," he said, he had a painfully thick accent that told Regina he was not from Leopold's kingdom.

He got down to one knee in order to pick up something from the floor. As he got to his feet, Regina could see as he held up an object that looked a lot like one of the earrings she had put on that morning. She quickly brought both her hands to her ears and confirmed that it was indeed the missing twin from the one which was still firmly attached to her ear.

"Wonder where the other one went-" he said to himself as he started to inspect the floor once more.

It was then that Regina decided to make her presence known, even though she was a little unsure of how to proceed. She came out from behind the wide column slowly, he still had his back turned to her and Regina schooled her face to keep her expression as neutral as possible.

"Looking for this?" she asked loudly enough to call his attention and startle him as she held out the other earring.

"Bloody hell!" the man jumped so fast and so high that she was afraid he was going to fall off the balcony.

"Well?" she lifted one perfect eyebrow.

"Hum, yes milady-" he tried, "-as a matter of fact yes." he inspected her from head to toe and Regina was glad she had not been wearing any of that ridiculous Queenly attire but rather a white dress she had favored ever since she first came to the castle.

"It's yours then?" she asked testily.

"Yes?" he tried again; twisting his face into what he imagined was a convincing expression, Regina found it rather humorous. She found she rather liked this thief, he did not seem dangerous nor violent but simply disconcerted and inventive;

"We both know it's not yours-" Regina started taking a few steps in his direction, his big eyes went wide, making him look more like a rather funny character in a drawing than a thief. She inspected him from top to bottom once again and landed her dark eyes in his equally dark pools, "-but you can have it." She threw the other earing his way, which earned her a shocked expression from him, but his quick hands grabbed the accessory with ease in the air.

"Why?" he asked confused as he inspected the rich trinkets in his hands.

"I have no use for them." Regina shrugged her shoulders, "Everything that really matters to me-" she reached out and touched the ring Daniel had given her for their engagement which hung on her neck by a simple chain, "-is safe." She let go of the ring, "You can take the rest." She waved her hand dismissively as the young man's mouth hung slightly agape at her words, "I could not care less for them."

"Thank you milady, that is most generous of you-" he managed to stutter as he pocketed her earrings.

"Give them to your _Ana_," she said with a tad of venom, a small sneer upon pronouncing the girl's name.

_Jealous_, she was jealous of this girl. Jealous she had a courageous – even though a little daft - lover who dared to invade a castle to rob from heavily armed royals and still found time to think of her, to bring something back for her.

"I'm sure the diamonds will make her eyes sparkle." Regina continued trying to be less resentful.

"Oh, my Ana's eyes have _always_ shone-" he told her with a completely new color in his voice, it was fuller and stronger, he bore a silly smirk on the corner of his lips, "-no rocks necessary."

Regina's face became glacial as she felt her heart sting inside her chest. From the way he spoke, it was painfully clear he was head over heels for this _Ana_ girl and Regina could not help but allow jealousy to burn through her veins. Jealousy of his ease to walk in and out of her prison when she had tried for so long and so hard to break free. Jealousy for his ability to love, unashamed of it, and letting it show even to a stranger he was just robbing. Jealous of Ana for having him and mad at the whole wide world for having taken the only person who once spoke about her that way away from her. Oh, how she _loathed_ that little flake of Snow, how she craved to-

She turned her back on him and headed for the door, wanting to evaporate from that place, _sick_ of his love-filled eyes. She stopped on her tracks just as she touched the handle and turned back to face him once more and said, "Do not climb down the walls on your way out, the guards will be patrolling the grounds by now." She wet her lips and continued, "Use the servants passageway, it's a door hidden behind those curtains." she motioned to the thick dark curtains that hung majestically on one of the walls, "No one will give you or your friend a second glance there."

"Thank you again milady, truly-" he said, his accent was heavy but his words were earnest and true.

She pivoted back towards the door in order to leave when his voice reached her ears once again, "I just find it funny."

She turned around with a frown upon her face, confused at his words and asked, "What is?"

"Well, you see, me and my boss-" he started

"The one who is ransacking my bedroom?" Regina asks with an amused grin.

"That very same," he points a finger at her in confirmation following her humor.

He then grew a little serious as he continued, "Well, we overheard from the King's personal valet – who, for the king's misfortune and our good luck, cannot get enough of his pint until he's passed out – tell of the King's unexpected journey. He went on and on about how he was to take soldiers and knights and all the kind of rubbish that makes me life as a thief so difficult. You see this is why we chose this most delightful day to steal his riches."

Regina could not help but give the thief a small smile in return, enjoying the fact that her husband was finally going to pay for his stupid vanity, "And?"

"Well, he also said that everyone of importance would be journeying with the King." He delivered.

Regina's face went bland once again, "And your point is?"

"Well, that statement was clearly untrue if you did not journey with him," he said truthfully and for a moment Regina's heart was swollen with flattery.

She took a deep breath and spun back to the door saying in a small voice, "Thank you-" she opened the door and completed whilst she left the room, "-but I'm nobody."

She shut the door behind her before she could hear his reply. He was kind but was making Regina feel bad and unloved, which she knew she was, but that did not mean she had to acknowledge it all of the time.

She knew what she needed to make her feel better, her objective became clear; Jamie.

Her little piece of young meat she could feast upon in order to satisfy her carnal need and not feel so lonely for a while. Their agreement was very simple, no heavy sentiments involved, just heavy breathing upon naked flesh, which was what Regina craved for at this moment.

Regina felt they had to make the best of every moment Leopold was away, this was the very first time he left along with his insupportable daughter and Regina had promised herself she would revel in every single second of this newfound freedom as much as she could.

She came to find him in the corridor of her bedchambers; he explored fearlessly – and rather stupidly - the so well guarded ward of her room, but it was now remarkably deserted. He was about to open the door when she called out to him.

"Jamie!" she shouted quietly, his head shot towards her voice and his hand dropped from the door handle.

"Regina I thought-" but he was not able to finish his sentence for she closed the distance between them swiftly and brought her lips to his in a hungry kiss he reciprocated promptly.

He hummed against her mouth and Regina opened up to him, letting his hot tongue invade her hungry mouth. Regina let out all of her frustrated jealousy and sadness on the kiss, she tried to keep in mind that she had _this_, and this was _something_, it was better than _nothing_.

She grabbed the lapels of his shirt, managed to pivot him around, making his back hit the wooden door with force before breaking the wet passionate kiss. A crashing sound came from inside her bedroom and Jamie's heated eyes instantly took another shade with alarm. He turned his frame in order to reach for the handle again but Regina stopped him.

"No, its fine-" she tried to explain in a whisper.

"Regina, there is clearly someone in there-" he said trying snake his hands from hers so he could open the door.

"I know!" she told him holding on tighter to his hands.

"What?" he whispered squinting his eyes not being able to understand.

Before she could respond a voice Regina picked out as the one belonging to the outlaw she had just met rings from the inside her room, "Bloody hell, mate! Did you have to break it?"

"I think there is someone outside" another voice replies, Regina was almost sure he was wearing cloth of some sort about his mouth for his words were a bit muffled, "I think it's a woman-"

Regina could hear some more click clacking that probably belonged to the decorations of her boudoir being stuffed into flour sacks, "-I think she's trying to keep a guard from coming in." she heard him continue in a confused tone, "But that cannot be-"

"Oh, yes it can." The voice of the young man rung out smugly, "This is _her_ bedroom."

"Her bedroom?" the other voice asked, "How would you even know that?"

"Yes, her bedroom-" the clear voice of the thief resonated, "-_and_ she has allowed us to help ourselves to anything we like."

"WHAT?" Regina could hear his stifled yet irritated tone, "You talked to someone in the castle, Will?" she heard steps and then he continued, "How many times have I told you to be invisible? To _never_ talk to anybody?"

Jamie looked at Regina questionably and she mouthed a simple, "its fine."

"But she was different Rob," the other tried to explain, "She even showed me this secret passageway we can use to escape!"

More pacing and then, "How do you know you can trust this woman?" the subdued voice asked, "Do you even know in how many ways you could have walked into a trap, Will?"

"It's not a trap mate. She gave me these, so I could give them to Ana," he was probably showing his 'boss' the expensive pair of earrings she had presented him with.

"Let me see those!" the quiet voice ordered and by the sound of it probably snatched the pair of earrings from the other's grasp.

"Oi!" Will protested, "That's mine Rob."

"I don't know mate-" the other had clearly taken off whatever it was that was covering his mouth revealing also a thick but different accent, "-I think they would look much better on Marian-"

"You just met her last week, Robin!" Will argued, clearly annoyed at his boss's attitude, "How many times have you seen her?"

"Twice" the other replied quietly.

"Yes, twice! One in which you stole _from_ her and another in which you stole _for_ her." The young man argued, "You haven't even kissed her yet, you don't even know if she wants anything to do with you. But as for me and Anastasia-"

"Yes, yes-" the other man cut him off, "I know what you and Anastasia do, the whole camp knows Will-"

"Oi, watch what you are saying lover boy" the known thief, Will, that was his name, protested a little too loud.

"Oh, so now, _I _am 'lover boy'?" his boss questioned amused, there was a pause, "Well, I'm pretty sure once Marian sets eyes in these, she'll be more than willing to do some lov-"

Regina had had just about enough of the thieves quarrel, it had been almost unbearable to hear that Will figure talk about his beloved but add yet another lovesick outlaw and Regina's patience wore thin. So she decided to take matters into her own hands, quite literally. She and Jamie had been rather immobile in their position as they listened into the thieves' conversation, bodies still pressed to each other, Jamie's erection ridiculously clear against her thigh. She brought one hand up and knocked on the door with as much force as she could muster before the other outlaw could finish his most certainly sexually inclined sentence.

It did the trick and instantly the man's voice halted and nothing could be heard coming from her chambers. Suddenly the click clacking sound of the stolen goods was mighty, as it seemed as if they were gathering as much as they could carry. She heard the sound of the door of the secret passageway bang and then there was dead silence.

Jamie regarded her gravely and spoke after a moment, "Did you just give a couple of thieves permission to steal from the castle and an escape route?"

Regina stifled a grin and replied, "I might have"

"Gods, you are crazy-" he was half grinning himself by this point.

"And you adore it, don't you _lad_?" she replied sensually letting one manicured fingertip trace down his cheek as her tongue massaged the endearment 'lad'.

"Oh fuck yes!" he said quickly grabbing her by her lower back and lifting Regina slightly from the floor, she wrapped her legs around his middle and laughed.

He made it to open the door, for what seemed like the billionth time, but Regina was able to halt all his movements only by placing her fingertip to his lips.

"No, no," she traced his meaty lower lip, "Today you are taking me somewhere different,"

He smirked beneath her finger, "And where might that be?"

She disentangled her legs from around his lower torso and even though she was several inches shorter than him, she faced him as an equal and in challenge she uttered, "Follow me and you'll find out,"

And with that, Regina distanced herself from his warmth and made her way down the stairs that led from that awfully well guarded corridor. She gathered her skirts in her hands in order to run down the stairs faster, hearing Jamie's heavy footsteps trailing behind her.

The pair was lucky they could tread about the castle unpreoccupied. Leopold always wanted to make a spectacle of himself in these journeys; hence, he took his most trustworthy and strong knights and soldiers. He was a vain man, a few people knew that for his 'generosity' seemed to cloud every other aspect, and Regina figured one day it would be his damnation. For he had left the castle very poorly guarded, whilst to why they already had thieves climbing up their walls. Regina just hoped she would not be there when greater and more powerful forces than a couple of pickpockets decided to have a slice of Leopold's treasures.

After several twists and turns in the almost emptied corridors Regina finally arrived at her desired destination, she turned around to face her ardent lover just outside a light colored wooden door. The young man had caught up with her to give her a look of shook as he eyed the door behind her. It had been beautifully carved with shapes of flowers and birds; it was unlike any other door in the entire castle, for its light pastel color stood out from the entire décor of the dark grey corridor.

Jamie looked back at her and tried to stifle a laugh, "Are you certain?"

"Absolutely" she slurred letting the word roll slowly and sensually from her tongue.

Regina had her back to the door and Jamie's torso dangerously close to her own, as he closed the distance between them, Regina turned around rapidly and was able to feel his hard erection press against her behind.

_Delicious_

She hummed and rotated her hips creating a wonderful friction between their bodies and could hear Jamie groan behind her, his hands trailing up and down her sides. Regina threw her head back inhaling sharply as she blindly tried the door.

It was locked, but that was no problem. She set her eyes on the handle as Jamie's mouth found the tender flesh on her neck. Concentrating was a hard task when his teeth nibbled and sucked just in the right places but Regina was able to pull herself together enough to cast a spell to open the door. Her purple smoke invaded the key hole and did the rest, opening the door whilst Jamie ground himself on her backside.

She felt in a rather playful mood that day so she pushed the door opened and quickly entered the room making her partner almost fall on his face at the entrance of his fiancé's bedroom.

The ghastly place looked just as it had always looked; a universe of pastels and pearly white, it stunk of sweet vanilla fragrances, which momentarily made Regina sick. But this had nothing to do with the girl's pathetic taste and everything to do with the fact that she was about to be fucked by said girl's fiancé on her own bed.

Jamie caught her around the waist and spun her around quickly to resume his activities on her neck. Regina wound her fingers in his hair pulling at it when his mouth would brush against her sensitive points. His nimble fingers were also at work, hiking her dress up so his hands could feast upon the naked flesh of her thighs.

Regina's nails came scraping down the man's ears and neck – leaving red marks on their tracks – and she started to fumble with the bindings that secured his shirt closed. She pulled string after string whilst his hands groped her backside liberating hisses against the already reddened and heated region of her neck. Regina was able to liberate his delicious body from the offending garb just as one of his hands snaked its way inside her undergarments.

His thumb brushed against her clit just the right way to make her knees go weak and Regina liberated a whine of pleasure seeing a smug smirk creep about Jamie's lips. His fingers went lower to her entrance and it was his turn to exhale in delighted surprise upon feeling her already ridiculously wet.

"Fuck Regina, you're so-" He sighed but was not able to complete, he hardly ever was, in that department Regina had decided it was better if she was the dominant party.

"Yes I am" she took the wrist to the exploring hand in her own hand with vigor, "And what are you going to do about that _boy_?" she made his hand press harder against her core and the man bit his lower lip in anticipation.

"Whatever you want Regina," he replied curving his fingers to reach her clit managing to send jolts of pleasure about Regina's body. She had to close her eyes to ravel on the sensation of his fingers working on her, on the very specific points she had taught him made her go crazy.

After a moment and a deep sigh, Regina reopened her eyes to meet his darkened green and said, "Good boy,"

She still had her grip on his hand and used it to pull it from her, she held up his hand aligned with her head and smirked, it was dripping with her desire. Regina guided the hand to his chest painting his toned muscles with her juices. After she was done, she completely forgot about the hand, tossing it to the side and focused on the masterpiece she had just created.

Jamie sucked in a deep breath when her mouth made contact with his chest, licking and biting so fiercely he took a step back when she pounced at him. Regina half laughed half moaned against his perfectly defined chest, as she feasted on his flesh she held back nothing, none of the passion nor the frustration nor the anger.

When she was satisfied she traced up her tongue from his abdomen, about his chest, stopping at his right nipple, she gave it a nice unashamed nip and could feel Jamie's groan against her mouth. Her tongue continued its journey north until she reached his ear, she closed her teeth sensually about his earlobe and pulled only a little bit before releasing it.

She slurred with her cheek pressed to his, "Take them off"

Regina drew away from him completely so she could watch the young man divest himself. He did so with gusto, - he knew she liked to watch, he knew a lot of things about what Regina liked and did not like in bed - not too quickly nor too slowly but in a speed so perfect Regina could see his every picture-perfect muscles tense and relax at his actions.

"How come I'm the one who's always naked first?" he asked after he had shed his last bit of clothing while Regina herself was fully clothed in her virginal white dress but wickedly twisted undergarments.

"Because my dear boy, I'm the one in charge." she inspected him head to toe and desire pooled on the pit of her stomach, he had such a nice body and after some guidance and a good deal of patience, she was able to use it to her utmost pleasure.

She neared him once more with leisurely but sensual steps, her eyes burning in his frame, his lower lip trapped painfully in between his teeth – a habit that Regina learned with time showcased that he was very much holding on to dear life to not simply pounce at her.

Regina brought one hand up to run about his chest softly but the tender contact lasted mere seconds for in the next moment she was pushing him back taking steps forward to which he took the same amount backwards until the back of his knees hit the edge of Snow White's bed. Without a second to think both of Regina's hands met his chest and pushed him to the sleeping place of her hated stepdaughter.

Jamie had a smile on his face and Regina had to smirk back, he enjoyed this little tat to tat just as much as she did. He did not mind giving her all the power and Regina most certainly was more than happy to have it.

Regina caught her skirts in her hands and brought them up placing one knee in between Jamie's naked opened legs on the soft surface of the bed. He was watching her like a hawk, he brought his torso up a little bit, supporting his weight on his elbows, looking attentively but unmoving.

She brought her dress over her head in one movement she had performed many, many times before to reveal her undergarments are all white satin and that she is wearing no corset. A chill ran through her entire body, making gooseflesh rise in her arms, only small undergarments and knee-high pearly white stockings cover her body at the moment.

Jamie's eyes were hungry on her exposed frame, she thought at that moment he might reach out and touch her without her permission, given the intensity of his gaze. But he did not, he knew better than to do that, she tossed the dress aside and brought her other knee to the bed and rested it beside his leg.

She decided to tease the poor lad a little bit. Regina felt a little bit too excited about being able to taunt him in Snow's bed. Her hands started to make their seductive way up, caressing the whole extension of her torso before they stopped at her breasts and she started to play with her nipples.

His mouth was hanging opened and his hands closed in tight fists, Regina took pity on him after a short while and said, "You want to play too, my dear boy?"

"Yes" he was able to manufacture for his mouth had gone dry.

She moved her knees up and slowly lowered her body until one of her nipples caressed the skin on his chest. She moved in circular motions until it became erect and Jamie had shut his eyes whilst almost drawing blood from his lower lip. When both nipples were hard and Regina satisfied with his groans of tortured pleasure, she brought her mouth near his tortured one.

"Be my guest then," she told him and his lower lip was quickly released, one his hands found her hip whilst the other took as much left breast as his enthusiasm allowed it to.

Regina moaned and closed the distance between their mouths giving him a searing kiss. Their kiss had never really clicked, but it was mildly satisfactory, other parts and aspects of the young man made up for their lack of lip chemistry. His hands delighted themselves in feeling her entire body as if this was the very first time they were together. He had always been very keen on her body; one could even call it even worship. It was probably one of the reasons why Regina enjoyed torturing him so much. Not letting him touch her until she gave permission and if that made her a little bit evil-

She ground her sex on his leg, searching for some release down below as his hands had busied themselves with other parts of her body. With every stroke she gave his limb, she felt her desire grow and his breathing grow more labored, she had attached her mouth to his neck and was making good in marking it down red. It was not before long that the grinding was not enough to satisfy her needs and Regina brought the knee, which had rested in between his legs, to the other side of his leg, promptly sitting on him without shame or reserve.

She took his thick member in her hand and stroked him with gusto a couple of times, twisting him at the end with every new stroke and said, "Now, I shall ride you in the brat's bed until it breaks!"

The young man laughed throwing one arm above his head as his heated gaze took her in, scantily clad on top of him and responded, "We will be doing the bed a favor, I bet it has not seen any action whatsoever-"

She grinned at his remark, he had truly learned the art of insulting Snow White, and Regina was the one to take credit for it. Feeling the fire in her core beg for friction and release, Regina quickly undid the hooks that supported her undergarments and took the petite piece of cloth off, uncovering her intimacy.

Regina did not take long to sink herself onto him; the man's tendons pressed into the skin of her hips as she made her torturously slow descend. She sighed when he was balls deep inside her clenching her inner walls about his cock. Regina was not in the mood of slow burn, she wanted action, friction and sweat, and so that was what she was going to get.

She started moving up and down, taking only him half way out before having him back inside her to the hilt. Regina placed her hands on his abdomen for support; she led the whole dance feeling delightful tremors of pleasure coursing all the way down to her toes. He met her every enthusiastic – and a little too harsh at times – movement, making sure to shove as much as he could inside her. He was a little too loud for Regina's taste but if she said his screams of pleasure did not inflate her ego, she would be lying.

Regina herself began to grow more and more vocal as she rode him harder and harder, until the point it almost hurt. But it was a strangely satisfying kind of pain, Regina made sure she brushed her clit against his skin with her moments, twisting above him.

His hands were on her backside and he would give her an occasional slap there. Which was something she wished Jamie did more often, something that made her feel downright animalistic, but the lad had much difficulty in performing such acts. Could not even bring himself to pull her hair when taking her from behind. But maybe this particular deed just needed more time, maybe if she started to-

"REGINA!" the scream was so loud it overpowered both Regina's and Jamie's shouts of ecstasy.

The voice was barely recognizable, it reminded her of – no, it could not be _him_, it was far too thunderous, far too commanding to be-

_Leopold_

When Regina laid eyes on her husband, standing by the now opened door of Snow's boudoir, it seemed as if time stood still. She felt all the flushness abandon her face to give away to a downright bitter sensation making her lightheaded, absolutely desperate and completely terrified.

He had been there, in Snow's room, witnessing to Regina being thoroughly fucked by his daughter's husband to be. He was there and not where he was supposed to be, inside a carriage heading west, far, far away from this castle, this room and this moment.

But he was really there, staring daggers down at her, wearing that stupid crown in that pathetic bald head of his. He was there and Regina wished again and again that this was a nightmare and she was to wake up at any moment, alone, but safe in her room.

At that moment she felt as helpless as she had the night her mother took Daniel away from her; desperation and terror invaded her whole being and paralyzed her limbs. Only now, not only her lover was to face death but she was probably going to die as well. Die for her treason, for her disloyalty to the King, who was merely a little man with a crown, who deserved to be betrayed, but alas, the world was an unfair place. She had learned that when she saw her true love's heart being crushed into dust. Regina had been foolish to think she could feel a little bliss inside her prison, now she was doomed and there was nothing she could do about it.

But, _no_. That was not exactly true-

A strong realization hit her like a bolt of lightening, something so seemly stupid and obvious it almost stole a laugh from her. She may bear the same face as the innocent young woman who had lost the love of her life in her childhood home stables, but she was not that girl anymore.

_That girl was gone. _

Regina's chest was filled with confidence when she remembered she now had power, great power-

_You are shaping up to be the best pupil I ever had_, the Dark One's voice rang inside her head, boosting her confidence, building up her courage.

_Her magic, her magic would save her. _

_That_ day her magic would give her so much more than salvation.

Regina was still very much on top of Jamie, his now softening length still inside her. Only seconds had passed since Leopold had bellowed her name and interrupted her coitus. Her frozen expression changed from surprised to amused, she twisted her lips into an evil grin and Regina's eyes grew darker looking at her sorry excuse of a husband.

"Husband, you are back too soon-" her words were pure poison, her tone had gone down, her voice completely different from the one she used whilst with him, "-why, I was not able to finish not even once!" She pretended to whine, her smile widening when she finished.

She had never seen Leopold look so livid in her entire life. After her words hit him, the color red started spreading about his features, his eyes were as wide as they could be. It looked as if he was going to explode with anger and Regina felt like crackling.

"Regina, what is the meaning of this?" He sounded as if he was choking on his own anger, he did not move from the door, nor do anything else but speak.

"How refreshing, I thought you had forgotten my name-" she lifted herself humming as Jamie's cock slithered out of her moist core.

Jamie was already very much softened and white as a sheet, he looked as if he had seen a ghost and differently from Regina, was not able to unfreeze from the shock.

_Poor thing._

Sighing deeply, as if nothing of great importance was happening, Regina placed both her hands on Jamie's abdomen and used them as a leverage to support her weight and disentangle herself from his body. She sat on the edge of the bed, leaned back slightly placing the palms of her hands to the soft mattress and crossed her legs. She was clad in nothing but her thin silky pearly white stockings and looked at Leopold in challenge, daring him to go on.

He met her gaze with eyes that promised revenge and suffering, but Regina was not afraid of this insignificant small man in a crown.

"This is unforgivable _wife," _he emphasized the word wife probably in order to anger Regina but _nothing_ could get her down now,_ "_you will-" he continued gravely but Regina cut him.

"And who told you I want your forgiveness, you pathetic old bag?" She retorted feeling her chest fill with satisfaction.

Leopold gasped and Regina could not hold back the crackle anymore, she liberated the laugh and threw her head back, mocking him with gusto.

"Wife" he half screamed warning her.

Upon hearing her 'title', Regina rose from the bed looking positively enraged and screamed back at his face overpowering his voice, "MY NAME IS REGINA!"

Her eyes were almost popping out of her head with the intensity of her stare. She could have pulverized him right there if she wanted to, ended his miserable existence right then. But _no_, she wanted him to _suffer_, she wanted him to _beg_ for death before the end. If she killed him now it could have been considered merciful if his crimes against her were accounted for.

"Regina-" she heard Jamie's weak voice behind her.

Both Regina and Leopold turned to face the young man who had freed himself from his state of shock. He now sat on the edge of the bed, still completely naked, - and my, my, did he look _good_ naked - looking at Regina with eyes searching for the answers to a million questions.

"And you-" Leopold pointed his aged finger at Jamie, "-I believe you know you will be paying for this with your life."

"He will be doing no such thing." Regina said with her newly found commanding grave voice, overpowering Leopold's once more. She then turned to face Jamie and assured him in her normal tone, "Do not worry dear, I will take care of it."

"Oh you will?" Leopold's voice mocked, she pivoted back to face him, unafraid of his words and threats, "And how are you going to do that _wife_?" The title bit her every time, "By seducing me into forgetting?" He gestured to her uncovered body with disgust.

Regina bit back a laugh and retorted, "You have not touched this body in over six years, you foolish man." She mocked, "What makes you think I would allow you to touch me-" she approached him and stood about a foot away him and continued, "-when I can do so much better?" She rose one perfect eyebrow and smirked looking quickly at Jamie's direction before bringing her wicked glare back towards her husband.

"Are you mad woman?" Leopold looked at her startled and confused, "I can recall rather vividly that two fortnights past you-"

She did not allow him to complete, "You should not believe everything you see _husband_." She moved her head like a snake, it stopped dangerously close to his, "How can you be so sure that the one who warms your bed is me?"

He drew his head back instinctively and narrowed his eyes, his startled expression started giving away to a completely puzzled one, "Who are you?" He whispered.

"I'm your wife, who else could I be, _my lord_?" she mocked.

"I do not know you-" he half whispered, still in a state of utter confusion.

"That is true-" she pointed a confirming finger at him in a mocking conversational tone, "you do not know the first thing about me." she now hissed at him, pouring as much of her frustration, poison and repressed anger as she could.

Regina then turned her back to him, unashamed of her naked situation - she wore her exposed skin with pride, like an armor for she knew it was a powerful weapon - and walked to Snow's dresser. The thing was messy, with hairpins and ribbons scattered everywhere. Regina placed one delicate hand to the wooden surface and pivoted back to face the old man, "Allow me to enlighten you," she completed.

It was comical to see Leopold's expression morph from confused, to perplexed and then freeze in terrified when purple smoke started appearing from Regina's hand. It danced about the trinkets the princess had mindlessly tossed about her dresser like trash and cascaded down onto the floor, spreading quickly about the room. The smoke sought one particular type of object; it ran quickly about the room in search of it, under the bed, behind the curtains, there was not an inch of the room it did not touch in its search. Soon every single last one of the ribbons it could find spread around was possessed by Regina's magic.

Her husband watched in horror as the pretty ribbons his daughter used to adorn her hair started to come to life, twist around and slither on the floor like snakes. They all had one thing in common; they were all heading towards him.

"What-?" was all Leopold was able to produce as the ribbons closed in on him.

Regina watched amused as he took a couple of useless steps back, his eyes so wide they were almost popping out of his head. The colorful ribbons came to a halt when they all formed a perfect circle around Leopold blocking his path completely. All of them had one side – the one that faced him – lifted from the ground and curved slightly, like vipers, ready to pounce.

He looked from the threatening ribbons to Regina, who was still very much in the same position, watching him squirm with fear, a few times before he was able to stutter, "Tell them to stand back," in what was most certainly his best attempt in sounding courageous.

Regina pretended to think before she clicked her tongue and responded, "No-" she took two steps away from the dresser heading towards him, "I have a far more entertaining idea."

She smiled one beautiful yet malevolent smile and straightened her fingers in a fast movement. In response all the ribbons leapt from their static positions, all of them had a single target, Leopold.

They snaked their way up his legs swiftly, spreading about his body, tightening themselves about him. It was when Leopold finally started screaming in horror and fear that Regina thought her chest might explode with the amount of satisfaction that she was feeling. She was careful enough to color coordinate their dance, so when their job was done - his wrists were secured together by the white ones, the middle section of his arms bonded tightly to his sides by the blue ones, his knees glued together by the orange ribbons, his feet tied up tight by the greens and finally his sordid mouth gagged by every single red ribbon that could be found in the room – he looked nothing like a king and a lot more like a court jester.

When the ribbons had fastened tightly about Leopold's knees and feet, his balance was lost, and he fell. Since his movements were constricted, he could do nothing to help his nose from hitting the stone floor, his protests being subdued by the red ribbon on top of his mouth. Regina moved toward where he lay, helpless and pathetic, and simply contemplated the sorry sight of him for a few moments.

When her eyes and spirit were satisfied, she used her magic to lift him up from the floor back on his feet, but they did not touch the ground but floated a little bit above it. Surprisingly so his golden crown had not fallen from his head, but the impact it took from the fall made a nasty gash on his forehead. His eyes were blood shot and watery, his nose had clearly taken the worst blow, maybe even broke, - although Regina did not care – there was some blood coming out of it. He was trying to say something through the cloth that covered his mouth, but Regina felt he had said his fill for the time being.

"Regina-" she heard Jamie's voice call out to her, she turned to face him and saw worry and fear still plastered on his features, "Regina, I know that your magic can do great wonders but-" he swallowed lifting his fine derrière from the bed and approaching her, "-how does tying the King up save us from execution?"

Before she could reply, Regina heard Leopold's stifled laugh from behind her. She turned around to see he faced her with defiance and arrogance even though he was clearly not in an advantageous position.

That look alone made Regina's blood boil and before she could think she bellowed, "SILENCE!" whilst a harsh movement of her hand triggered dark magic. The King was sent flying fast to land sitting on a rocking chair. The old thing faced the bed and Regina remembered quite well that she herself had used it many a time before whilst trying to make brat Snow fall sleep.

He hit the chair hard but not hard enough to break it. Regina lifted one eyebrow at her now silent husband and told him widening her eyes at the end of the phrase, "I suggest you never laugh at me again if you value your life," without taking her eyes away from him she continued, addressing to Jamie's question, "Well my dear, what if he does not recall any of this?" she smirked at the end seeing how Leopold's eyes widened again.

With a gentler wave of her hand, Regina produced a small vial containing a blue colored liquid. It appeared on the table just beside the rocking chair stunned terrified Leopold had been tossed into.

"That potion is our salvation-" she told him now eying the vial, "- I have perfected a simple forgetting potion so it would have the same effects as a powerful forgetting spell." She then pivoted around to look at her lover and completed, "He will have no reason to execute us if he does not remember why he should in the first place." She finished off with a wink.

For the first time in what seemed to be a millennia, a smile cracked on Jamie's lips and Regina felt like she was ready to move on with the improvised torture plan. She reciprocated the smile and started taking leisurely, almost feline steps towards him, morphing her look from half-crazed witch to irresistible temptress. 

Jamie's smile instantly feel when he saw just what hers sought and told her a little stunned, "Regina, you can't possibly-?"

"Why ever not?" she asked in faked innocence, "I have never done it with a non-participating audience before. Plus-" she pivoted to face Leopold who sat facing the foot of the bed, "I _want_ him to see another man take me. In fact-" she lifted one finger and continued, "The law states that the Queen must only be taken by the King and the King can take whomever he desires." She continued formally, "And being a dutiful Queen, I do not want to break the laws of my kingdom," she strolled to where Leopold sat and completed, "So I think I have found a solution to my little problem."

With that, Regina snatched the crown from Leopold's head with no care as to the fact his forehead was injured because of it. It was heavier than she had expected given that Leopold was already old, but she guessed that it symbolized the weight of ruling, for her crowns were also rather heavy and uncomfortable.

Leopold's muffled protests grew more agitated with the loss of his crown and he managed to make the chair rock back and forth with his constricted movements.

"I would not do that if I were you," Regina warned him, "You do not want to fall on your face again now, do you?" she tilted her head to the side and bashed her eyelids at him faking concern.

He stopped moving altogether to regard her with much, much hate in his eyes and Regina simply huffed at him, but then he did something that woke something slightly darker inside her.

Even through the many layers of ribbon, Regina could make out the word he uttered to her.

_Whore_

For the first time in her life Regina saw the color red invade her reality and not only the ribbons tied about his mouth bore the color but everything her eyes could reach. She felt her cheeks burn up like never before. Leopold had to count himself lucky for the rage-filled effect made Regina drop the crown, for it was with the very same hand that once held it that she struck him in the face so hard her palm ached with stinging pain.

But she did not care about _that_ pain.

"I WAS WITHOUT SIN!" she screamed at him, tears pooling inside her eyes, she could not hold back any more of her rage, "If I turned into a monster, it was _your_ doing!" she spat at him and with that indulged her aching palm in yet another powerful hit upon the King's cheek.

More blood poured out of his nose due to her strikes, but that track of red made her feel even more empowered, even more avenged. She found it funny to actually witness with her own eyes that he could bleed like anybody else. That in his time worn veins ran the same kind of blood as hers and not blue as her mother once wished her to believe.

His head had turned to the side with her blow and Regina caught both his cheeks with one hand squeezing them and made him turn to face her as she delivered in between clenched teeth, "And now, you will watch."

She tossed his head back making the chair rock a little bit and grabbed the crown from the floor. At this very moment, she thought of the thieves that had raided the castle with her permission and how this heavy object would have made them squeal like young maidens. She quickly tossed the thought away shaking her head. Regina walked away from him turning her fabulous derriere in his direction as she marched back to the bed, her hand clutching the heavy crown.

Jamie was standing there, on the right side of the bed facing her, with a stunned look on his face and his eyes glued to the crown in her grasp. Regina unceremoniously pushed him toward the bed and he feel willingly, supporting his weight on his elbows, still looking at her mesmerized over what she was doing.

Regina felt like exploding out of satisfaction, never in her entire life, had she felt so accomplished, so avenged, so powerful and in control, and so amazingly fulfilled. She was the one who was dealing the cards now, even if it was just for this day, she was to decide what the King was going to go through, she was to say when it was enough and then she could wipe out his memories.

She unceremoniously kicked softly at one of his knees; he parted it further so she could get in between his legs. Regina smirked holding up the crown and deposited it on Jamie's head mocking the ceremony a coronation required. She licked her lips and smirked whilst she bent her torso nearing her mouth to his.

"Long live the King" she slurred and did not give Jamie a chance to respond before she crushed her mouth in his to the sound of the muffled protests of the actual and very much tied up King.

During the hot and bothered kiss, Regina climbed on top of Jamie almost miming the position they had been in when they were caught in the act. Her head was rushing with a million sensations - lust, pride, fulfillment, anger, hate - it made Regina dizzy. Her chest was on fire and her heart raced, for the rush of having Leopold see how she really felt about him, to have him actually watch _this_, was overwhelming at the very least.

Jamie's hands were quick to scan her naked body, leaving no patch of uncovered skin without his burning touch. Soon, as Regina grinded herself on him, she could feel he was hard and ready beneath her and she found she could not wait another minute to have Leopold see him take her.

His lips were on her breasts when Regina grabbed a handful of his curly, dirty blonde hair and pulled his face from her chest. He had red painted on his lips due to her bruising kisses and bites, but the lad had an inclining towards that, never complained but rather encouraged her harsh kisses.

She licked the corner of his mouth and slurred, her voice having grown slightly hoarse after all the shouting and moaning she had been doing, "Take me"

With that, she let his hair go and climbed off of him to come to rest her body on the very edge of the bed. She sat with her back turned to Leopold and turned her head to the side.

"I want to see your pathetic little old face when he takes me" she addressed to her husband.

Regina then laid down on her back on the bed, so the top of her head was aligned with the edge. She brought her knees up, slithered up her whole body until her head, neck, shoulders, and a little bit of her torso were out of the comfort of the bed. She now could see Leopold - upside down - but still see him. She opened her legs invitingly but did not even bother to look and see if her partner was going to make a move or not, she only had eyes for the half ribbon clown King, who was looking as if he was going to pass out at any minute.

When she felt Jamie's perfectly sized cock enter her, Regina could not help but let out a delicious moan. She did not need adjusting by this point, and Jamie was very much aware of that fact, so he started to move slowly inside her whilst running his ever so eager hands up and down her half covered legs.

Regina burned and it was not only due to the incredibly hot sex she was engaging in but also because of her burning heart that ached with what seemed to be unending joy. After everything that man had put her through, from putting guards to watch her almost every move to slipping into her bedroom uninvited so she would 'perform her wifely duties'. He had literally cut her freedom to nearly zero by allowing her to only ride within the castle grounds and only whilst escorted. This truly felt like a leap of freedom for Regina, this was her chance to show him that she was not his pet; she belonged to nobody but herself.

Jamie picked up the pace and Regina lifted up her legs high so he could go deep, he caught her thighs and held on to them with might, his fingers leaving small red bruises on her skin. He banged in and out of her and even though Regina's features had been screwed by pleasure and her mouth produced loud erotic noises, her eyes still had not left the very much distressed and wounded King. She found it positively dark that the King's suffering was actually making her wetter, making her want to scream even louder and have Jamie take her even harder.

Soon watching Leopold groan in discomfort and anger upside down was not satisfying Regina enough anymore. She only had to rasp the word, _behind_ and Jamie was already pulling out of her and placing her feet back in the mattress. She took one last upside down look at Leopold and felt sturdy hands wrap around her ankles and pull. Regina's body slid about the rich covers of Snow's bed breathing in a huge breath and releasing it with a sigh. When her body was again all resting on the bed, Jamie tugged at her knees and with his help, she quickly got in all fours, her derriere to him and her eyes back on the King.

Jamie did not take his time to slam back inside her as Regina leaned forward like a wild cat, she felt completely out of control and yet for the first time in her life like the mistress of her own destiny. He was going at it with force and might, holding onto her hips tightly and moving in and out of her in a friction that was sure to drive her insane. Regina was starting to feel overwhelmed by her emotions, she was feeling too much and her vision started to blur.

Regardless of all the overwhelming sensations, she still could see _him._ Her head was in constant movement due to the wicked deed she was performing, her whole body vibrated with heat and exhilaration but her stare was still focused on _him_. She heard noises coming from his direction and she could only hope it was due to tears. She hoped he would weep, weep like she had night after night after being trapped in this horrendous loveless and careless marriage.

Now _he_ would suffer, not Regina. Now it was Regina's turn to laugh and come and _his_ weep.

Regina's ears could pick Jamie's groans intensifying and could only imagine he was close but she was not nearly done with this pleasure torture session. That must have been pretty obvious to Leopold's eyes for he started to move in his rocking chair again. He succeeded in making the chair move and seemed to want to rock it even faster as he moved awkwardly. Regina let out a hearty laugh at what she thought were pathetic attempts of trying to make them stop or maybe call their attention.

It only made Regina want more, "_Harder_" she commanded.

Stinging actual pain hit Regina when he complied and thrust himself in her even harder. The ache distracted her for a few moments and Regina was almost not able to register when Leopold finally managed to swing his way out of the chair and onto the floor, again.

But this time, whilst falling, he had managed hit the small table beside him which housed a few unimportant trinkets and the _very_ important forgetting potion. Regina's eyes went wide and as she took in a huge breath that formed a noisy gasp when she saw the vial tumble from the table in slow motion and hit the cold stone floor, crashing into a thousand pieces.

Regina screamed but no sound came out of her mouth. The blood in her veins, that had been running hot and fast, froze on the spot; she was so stunned she could not react. It took Jamie a few more seconds to process what had just happened but as soon as reality hit him, he drew from her instantly and she felt the warmth of his body leave hers completely. She lifted her weight from her hands and slumped to rest on her bended legs. Her body became numb after that, she could not feel a single limb.

The blue potion, that took Regina days perfect, stained the light colored floor and Regina was hypnotized by the slow journey the dense liquid made along the plain surface. Tears filled her eyes and ran down her cheeks in a matter of seconds against her will. Her body had blocked her senses, she could hear faintly by this point, and could not manage to form any words.

Desperation hit her like an arrow.

_What was she going to do? _

The potion was her salvation and now it was lost, it had taken her a month to make the simple memory potion and several other days and numerous failed attempts to strengthen it.

She could register Leopold was on the floor, on his side, laughing through his ribbon bondage, mocking her again. She saw her executioner, that small awful man was bound to put her through so much pain before the end.

A quick look to the window made wild thoughts of ending her misery in a more definite way rush through her head. Her world went black as she felt every single hair in her body go up. Everything around her was blackened but the window, which offered light, which was her only salvation, her only chance at never being hurt anymore. Maybe it would not hurt so bad, maybe it was all for the best, maybe she would get to see Daniel again, maybe this was in fact her fate-

"Regina!" Jamie's voice brought her back to reality and she had to blink several times for the darkness about her to disappear and in order to register he was standing right in front of her, a deep frown of worry painted his features, both his hands on her shoulders.

He had his trousers back on and Regina turned her head slightly at that. His hands were still rested upon both shoulders and he shook her. She took several breaths before she was finally able to wake up completely from her suicidal daze.

"Regina," he called out to her again and Regina simply nodded. He had a small blanket in his possession which he threw on her back in order to shelter her body from the sudden chill that had invaded the room.

She looked at him straight in the eye, getting her fingers around the edges of the blanket, and saw something she had never seen before, fierce determination.

Regina frowned and felt like something was missing. And indeed, the stifled sounds Leopold had been making had ceased and Regina looked down to find he was not on the floor anymore but back occupying the rocking chair he had swung himself from. Even though he was still bound by the colorful ribbons, he was not conscious anymore, his head rested on the backrest of the chair, his eyes closed.

She looked back at Jamie, confused, and asked in a weak voice, "What happened?" she brought the covers tighter around her frame suddenly feeling exposed and naked.

"Well, after the vial fell you started to look _odd_. Your eyes were almost all black Regina-" he started to explain, sitting next to her, knowing better than to try to comfort her in any physical way so he kept his hands to himself.

"You were staring at that window like you-" he was not able to finish, sensitive lad, he swallowed and tried again, "The King was still on the floor laughing and the bondage started to lose."

Regina's eyes went wide with that.

_Had she gone so far in the delusional moment that even her magic was wearing out?_

"I did not even think about it and just knocked him on the back of his head hard enough for him to pass out." He completed.

That surprised Regina a lot, surely she knew the boy hated her husband but she never thought he would have the courage to actually knock him down, especially now since they were both basically doomed.

He did not give her a chance to respond as he continued, "Regina-" he turned on the bed to face her, "I think there is only one way out of this but I wanted to run it by you before I did something drastic."

"What?" she was able to half whisper, her throat was dry.

"I'm going to kill him Regina." He said gravely and Regina had to lean in with her head in order to take in his words for she could not believe they were coming out of his mouth, "It's the only way out."

_Kill the King_

It had been over a year since the moment she had realized that killing the King was necessary, that she could never get her revenge nor freedom if the King still lived. The idea of killing him _now_ sounded tempting, their only salvation, the only way both of them could escape alive-

However, there was a part of Regina that protested, knew this was not the time. Over this past year, when she was not enjoying the pleasures of having a meaty man at her disposal, Regina tried to come up with many different ways of killing the King. However, not even one of them pleased her, she felt as if the guilt would be quickly pointed at her as soon as the body was discovered. She knew she needed to find somebody to frame with the murder or even to kill the King himself if she wanted to live through the process. The King's man were cunning and painfully loyal, so she needed to be smarter, stronger and more powerful.

Jamie was right there, offering to do the deed for her, to end Leopold's existence right before her eyes. She knew that only a twist in the old man's neck delivered by Jamie's strong arms would do it and yet-

She could not bring herself to let the boy die for her, as pleasing as the thought of her lover killing Leopold right after he took her, she could not help but think of the consequences of their actions.

Plus, Leopold did not _deserve_ to die in such peace. To die in his sleep, a brief moment of pain and then it would all be over.

_No_

The man deserved pain and suffering, he deserved to hear everything Regina had bottled up inside her for the past seven years. She wanted to tell him in vivid detail what she had done behind his back over the years of their marriage and how she planned to make his daughter suffer until she _begged_ for death.

Jamie was offering mercy for all, for their sakes and for Leopold's and Regina simply could not have that, could not _live_ with that. After everything that man had put her through, she could not have him die so mercifully.

Her loathing was so overwhelming Regina had to close her eyes. There was no way out and she was trembling. He could not die so quickly, she wanted to feel his warm blood moistening her hands as she finished him off as slowly as it was humanly possible. She wanted to end him, her judge, jailer and executioner. Regina's face was red hot with anger; the feeling was so overpowering she felt her bile rise-

"Regina, your hands!" Jamie's voice exclaimed and Regina opened her eyes to find deep purple smoke engulfing her hands.

She was stunned, normally her magic bore a lighter tone of purple and this one had the addition of small thunderbolts that crackled about the mist. She felt her arms stiffen and her magic take over her, she felt powerful, more powerful than ever, the magic in her grasp almost out of her own control. Her head started to spin; it felt light and dizzy as the cloud of purple smoke grew before her eyes.

"I-" she stuttered but was afraid to say anything else since she did not know what a mere movement would do to this potent amount of magic in her grasp.

She knew what she had to do. She had never felt so much magical power before, and somehow Regina knew it would be enough to do what she was unable to a week ago in her lessons.

Concentrating and not moving a muscle, Regina's mind went to work in the incantations of the complex memory spell she had learned. Regardless of Regina's attempts to keep still, her hands still trembled over the amount of magic she was producing. Nevertheless, she concentrated on Leopold, on what had just come to pass, on his mind and on his memories. She reached out to them from the moment he had entered Snow's room until when Jamie knocked him over the head and cleared it all away, leaving a big blank space where once the memories had been.

The spell was draining and Regina was grateful that she was sat on Snow's bed whilst casting it. She felt sweat prickle on her forehead and the blanket which covered her body slide down. But she could not move, only concentrate, focus on the incantation. She magic swept through Leopold's memories, engulfing them and then promptly erasing them, one by one, until the last one he had inside his mind was of coming up the staircases which led to Snow's bedchambers.

She was tired but knew she had to continue in order to save herself. Regina was thankful that the illusion spell was much less draining than the previous one. She quickly conjured new memories for Leopold, memories in which he missed a step on the staircase and twisted his left ankle. In his new recollections, he would remember tumbling down the cold stone spiral staircase until he reached the bottom, knocking his head on the pavement and remembering nothing else after that.

When it was done, Regina opened her eyes to see Jamie looking at her as if she had just pulled a dinner tray out of her nose. She huffed at him, a tired yet accomplished huff and told him, "It is done." She could not help but crack a small smile, "All he will remember now is how he fell from the stairs which awarded him with all those bruises."

Jamie looked absolutely stunned and did not say anything but reciprocate her show of teeth.

"Only one thing left," she waved her weary hand and all the ribbons became alive again and unfastened themselves from the King's body. They slithered back to the places they had originally been tossed in. And if some of them bore a little blood, well, Regina was just counting that as a bonus for when Snow came upon them.

Once his body was freed from the trinkets, with another wave of her hand Regina surrounded his whole body with her magical smoke. When it cleared out, the rocking chair was empty.

"Where did he go?" Jamie asked

"Bottom of the stairs my dear, now-" she stood from the bed and looked at her half naked body. With a wave of her hands, she was back wearing her virginal white dress and Jamie was again fully clothed. She looked about the room and saw that the King's crown lying on by the bed. "We cannot forget that," and with a simply flicker of her wrist the crown was gone.

"What now?" Jamie inquired.

"Now we go see to the King, for he has been gravely injured," she said in her mocking innocent voice, they both shared a hearty laugh before leaving the room to attend to the King.

…

Regina had been nervous her spell had not worked, but as fate would have it, it did. The King had no recollection of what had really happened that day, only remembered what Regina wanted him to.

Things, however, changed significantly after that encounter, now gone from the King's recollections. Regina could not complain about these changes for one of them was the considerable diminish in the number of times Leopold asked Regina to join him in his bedchambers. His gaze towards her changed as well, before it was bored, almost as if she was not there, yet now it was alert and a little bit untrusting.

Regina chose to ignore it, until his odd behavior extended to Jamie. He would snap at the lad for no reason, eye him with utmost suspicion during dinners and that started creating a very uneasy feeling in Regina.

Maybe her spell was wearing out. Maybe he would remember everything at any minute. Maybe-

"I see you managed to cast the memory spell after all" the impish voice of Rumpelstiltskin snapped her out of her musings.

She looked up to find him sitting on her dresser, one foot on her stool whilst the other leg was crossed. Her teacher and mentor, the one who taught her everything she knew about magic, and even so, even if she felt gratitude for the knowledge, she could never bring herself to like him.

"Yes, I have" she told him triumphantly.

"But you are doubting yourself-" he continued pointing one of his twisted fingers at her, "You think that the spell is going to wear off!" that annoying giggled left his lips and Regina felt anger surge on the pit of her stomach.

"Nonsense!" she spat back at him, not really having any more arguments to help herself with, since his words rang painfully true.

"Oh, no need to lie to me dearie. I can see the wheels turning inside your head" he got up from the dresser and stood on the small bench. He then started imitating her voice, "Will the King remember? Will he kill me? Will he kill _him_?" he giggled again.

"Stop!" she exclaimed in fury.

"Do not worry, your majesty-" the imp told her jumping out of her stool "The King will only remember if you so desire." Regina could not help but let out a relieved breath, "However-" he lifted his finger up, "Your spells modified and erased the memories inside his head."

"And?" Regina inquired with disdain.

"And-" he took a couple of steps closer to her, "His mind might not remember but his heart _knows_." and with a giggle, he was gone in a cloud of black smoke.

…

Indeed, the King's heart did not forget and it only took a couple of weeks for him to call off the engagement between his daughter and the man he himself admitted to 'felling he did not know anymore'. Jamie himself could not have been more pleased with the news for he knew he was also going to be caged were he to marry the Princess. Regina was glad for him as well, would not wish her fate upon any other, much less somebody who had grown on her like Jamie. They had said their warm goodbyes in the privacy of her chambers and Regina had felt a pang in her heart. When Jamie truly left, all she could do was nod his way as he reciprocated, turned his horse and rode away from the castle.

_Lucky him_

"I knew all you needed was a push!" it was Rumpelstiltskin again, but this time she was surrounded by guards, knights, nobles and her husband nonetheless. For a brief moment she was terrified until she noticed that they were all unmoving, the imp must have used a strong freezing spell.

"What?" she half whispered afraid that she would manage to unfreeze the King who stood beside her.

"All you needed to be able to perform that spell was a little push my dear!" he repeated with a cruel smile on his voice.

"What on earth do you mean by that?" she frowned at him, confused, but then- "Wait, did _you_-?" she was not able to finish her sentence for ire started to take over her, "_You_!" she pointed an accusing finger at the imp standing before her, "You sent the King to Snow's room that day?" she asked incredulous.

He faked being shocked opening his mouth and placing a theatrical hand upon his chest, "_Me_?"

"Yes, you!" her eyes grew big as she took one dangerous step towards him.

His infuriating laugh invaded her senses and before he could completely disappear in his dark smoke he uttered, "Guilty"

…

**Thoughts?**


	14. Heartless Target

Time seemed to stand still when their eyes locked.

Regina felt a clenching sensation at the empty spot on the left side of her chest when brown met blue.

_It was impossible _

This whole thing was utterly impossible.

She had been feeling an uneasy sensation ever since Jamie had suggested taking her to this part of the gardens whilst they talked. She had had a niggling feeling she was being watched, intensively so. She had dismissed the thought, even though she had felt eyes burning on her back. They were in a royal ball after all; every last person was watching the other, praying they would fall on their faces.

But this was not royal at all.

_Him_

_It had to be him. _

It seemed as if Regina was not to be given a moment of peace from that man.

She told herself _this_ had been the reason why she had taken so much care to keep her distance from him and most importantly not summoned him to escort her to this pathetic façade of a party. His meddling, his following her to the seaside kingdom, his sharp comebacks and his complete lack of respect towards her authority. Those were the logic explanations for wanting to have that infuriating – and yet so very delicious – man at arm's length, instead of with his length up her-

But deep inside Regina's reason still lashed out at her for her utter stupidity that wild day his meddling had saved her life. It had been the first time in a really long time in which she had been completely powerless, defenseless and vulnerable. And yet, Regina still did not know for sure what had possessed her to call after him and expose her helplessness. There must have been something quite queer in that rain water to make Regina act the way she did. And if that had not been enough, she had allowed herself multiple orgasms and near death experiences even though she had no means of defending herself.

She had gone to bed that night fuming, her head a tangle of contradictory voices, but sleep had claimed her as soon as her head hit the pillow for the exhaustion was overwhelming. But Regina had not been rewarded with a peaceful night's sleep, for she had to eventually give up counting the number of times she had woken up drenched in sweat and with her sex moist. That _infernal_ man insisted in pestering her dreams with his warm tongue on her neck, his sturdy hands on her breasts and his perfectly sized manhood inside her.

But Regina's real wakeup call took place when she had finally had it with the wet dreams and gulped down a dreamless sleep potion and closed her eyes.

Regina found herself standing in the middle of a narrow road in the woods in broad daylight. She knew something was terribly wrong for her middle did not feel constricted by her tight corsets as it always did and nor did her feet ache from the height of her shoes. She looked down to be met of a vision that perplexed her immensely, her feet were bare, her soles touched the earthy floor and Regina could not trace back to when she had last felt like that. Plus she was wearing a white virginal dress, much like the ones she used to wear when she had first married the King, very much like the one Snow had been wearing that fateful day when-

Her attentions were drawn from her bizarre choice of attire by a grunt she heard from just behind her. Regina turned on her heel only to be witness to something most would not be able to endure to watch finding it brutal and gruesome. She just arched an eyebrow and brought one hand to rest at her hip as she watched her pet outlaw sink Daniel's blade over and over again onto the middle of poor defenseless and very much already dead Johanna.

Regina was not at all surprised by the way he stabbed the round woman with gusto, her blood prickling on his face, painting the blade as well as his hand but completely. She simply observed with a healthy amount of amusement as he managed to mangle the woman to shreds.

All of sudden his almost maniacal gaze turned to her, but Regina was not one to be shaken by a mere set of eyes, especially not his deep blue pools.

She questioned in all her royal manner, "Are you quite done?"

He stood, blade dripping with crimson blood still clutched in his right hand and looked at her with a hungry odd expression and responded, "Not quite"

Regina had had no time to react, no time to scream, no time to use her magic to defend herself. A split second passed and he had covered the distance between them and shoved Daniel's blade right up her gut, much like he had been doing with poor old Johanna.

But unlike his previous victim, she was not dead, and he did not remove the blade in order to stab her repeatedly. The whole blade remained inside Regina, only the handle was visible, his clutch on it mighty, making her unable to even try to remove it. The pain was so immense she could hardly feel it as her body reacted to having iron as its new guest, not a welcome one. Regina could feel the copper taste of blood reach her senses as it started gathering inside her mouth. All she managed to do was raise her hand to touch the one which held on tightly to the bladeless side of the dagger.

When the contact was made another voice sounded from her attacker's mouth and told her, "Now I've been avenged"

Regina's heart felt like it had frozen and cracked into a million pieces when that voice reached her ears. She immediately raised her head to find it was no longer the outlaw who impaled the blade inside her but Daniel, her sweet stable boy who held on to his own knife and kept it shoved inside her.

_He had betrayed her. _

_Her true love had betrayed her. _

_He had killed her. _

Her stable boy, her sweet, caring Daniel, her fiancé she never got to wed was gone.

_The thief_ had stabbed her. _He_ had betrayed her.

But all she saw were Daniel's blue eyes. Or were they Robin's?

The blue was so similar and yet so different, Regina's lifeline was hanging by a thread, she was drowning in a sea of blue-

Regina woke up with a start and immediately brought her hands to her middle, where the knife had been plunged by the outlaw, or had it been Daniel? Both?

Her breathing was erratic as she took in her surroundings, her chambers, her _new_ sleeping chambers, because she would be damned if she ever slept in the room Leopold had picked out for his pet wife. As consciousness came back to her Regina felt sweat prickle on her forehead where a pounding headache throbbed with nauseating intensity.

_What the fuck had _that_ been all about?_

Regina could still feel the faint taste of copper in her mouth, tears tracks ran about the sides of her eyes and she felt the area that had been stabbed tingle as if she had somehow been marked there.

_Dreamless my arse_

She had given up sleep altogether after that particular horrifying dream and tried to figure out what exactly was it that her subconscious was trying to tell her through it.

Had it been about her search for revenge? Was she going about the right means to avenge Daniel's death? She knew deep inside her that had Snow not interfered, she would be laying in a very different bed and in the company of one long gone. Therefore, _Snow_ had to pay.

Or was it about the man who seemed to be everywhere she went? Even right now, even after taking a potion NOT to dream about him, he managed to snake his way into her unconscious mind and perturb her sleep.

_That man_ \- He was not to be trusted. Regina could not believe she let herself be so utterly vulnerable in his presence. To call out for his help when it was clear that she was defenseless.

_He could have killed you so easily then._

_But he didn't_, a young woman whispered in the back of her mind.

_But he might have_, came the impish voice followed by a giggle that made Regina's head throb even more.

_How could she have trusted him for a second? He was her prisoner, her boy toy, her-_

Regina could not deny she had sympathized with the little she knew of his story. What she could not believe was that she had thought him like her, he had had lost his true love and drowned himself in darkness and misery, just like her.

_That thief is nothing like you!_ The heartless queen told her, _He is a thief, a commoner!_

_He knows nothing of your pain! _The half-naked Queen spat at her.

_Nobody has gone through what you had to endure,_ the young woman agreed with the other two females for the very first time.

Regina could trust nobody, for nobody truly cared.

All Regina had been left with was her revenge, and she would get it, even if it resulted in her own destruction.

She would drag Snow White by the hairs to the pits of hell itself.

The new day made itself known to her through thin strips of orange, which gradually invaded her bedchambers. After spending the remainder of the night pacing about, her headache having only worsened by this point, Regina finally decided that what she needed was space.

Although her night had been restless, the little sleep she got gave her at least enough energy to puff herself with dignity to the summer palace, where she remained for three days secluded.

After Leopold's death, not only did the main castle undergo renovations, but all of the estates owned by the crown. Regina was resolute in showing who was in charge and that things were going to change drastically, the legacy her late husband had left behind would be nothing but history.

The summer palace had been the first place those infernal nobles she shooed away from her castle had run to. But Regina made sure to cast a powerful spell upon the place, it was an ancient curse she had been recently learning which kept unwanted visitors away in a way they did not dare to come back ever again.

The ghosts that now haunted the place did not bother Regina; after all, she had been the one to put them there. It was a risky and dangerous curse to cast but Regina had always been more than willing to make sacrifices in order to get what she desired. For the spell was permanent and could never be reversed, but as Regina saw it, the souls needed a place to stay and Regina wanted the castle clear of living things. One hand washes the other.

As it turned out, a haunted castle was much more protected than a heavily guarded one, so Regina chose to store most of her darkest artifacts and spell books in its confinements.

The ghosts knew better than to stand on her way, for they were quite aware of the fact Regina had been the one to give them shelter and but he could also make their afterlives an unliving hell. So she hardly came by any of them, they had a whole castle to haunt.

But it was quite frequent that the oblivious spirits of children would cross her way, hardly taking notice in her, playing innocently a game of hide and seek or simply running about, their ghostly yet innocent laugher sent shivers up Regina's spine.

But she did not mind seeing the children, even when on occasion they would run right through her, the cold odd feeling of that was uncomfortable but not harmful. The ghost children had pure hearts, which were blind to malice, sin and the foulness of this world and so, they could not comprehend why the other ghosts were afraid of her. The little ones did not know who she was – unlike the older spirits – which meant that they did not fear her and did not pretend to be something they were not to please her.

The other spirits knew, her servants knew, her knights and guards knew, they all put up a show for her; no one was true but the children. The eternal ghost children and Ro-

_No!_

The reason why she had secluded herself in this haunted place was that she could get that infernal man out of her head. True, he did not bother to be anything but his rude, unpolished self whenever in her presence but that was simply because he was an animal. He did not _care_-

_He did save your life from the wolves_, a young voice spoke.

_He did it out of duty, it is his job to protect you, there is no merit in it_, the heartless Queen told her.

_That man has no sense of honor, he probably did it so he could ask for another favor_, the half-dressed Queen's voice rang.

…

Three days went by fast, Regina managed to occupy her time in her restless search of a way to find Snow White.

She was, at the end of the day, grateful she had not managed to end the girl's pathetic existence when she had been in half-fish form. Regina had let her emotions get the best of her that day, had been letting them rule over her head, her thirst for the girl's blood had been clouding her reason for some time now.

It would _not_ happen again.

Regina did not want to _kill_ Snow White.

No, she wanted to make her _suffer_. She had forgotten that along the way after killing the brat's father, the rush of having Leopold's blood dripping from her fingers had ignited something nearly irrational in her. Having sent the thief –ugh, there he was again – to kill her had been an impulsive move, her longing to drench her hands in royal blood once more had made her forget about her original objective.

It was only when she came upon a book on a special brand of objects that could carry the most powerful of curses that she was painfully reminded of her original plan.

_Make her agonize, ache and writhe_

_For death was too good for Snow White._

Regina needed to trap her in a never-ending wheel of torture. Fortunately for her, she knew exactly what she could use to imprison Snow in said eternal agony, all she needed was a vessel and Maleficent's powerful sleeping curse.

Regina did not know which one was going to be the trickiest one to acquire. The old dusty book told Regina there were several artifacts she could use in order to house the curse she had in mind for Snow.

However, most of them could only be found in other realms and the very idea of reaching out to Jefferson for anything made Regina sick to her stomach.

There was quite the selection of objects she could use that only existed in Wonderland. Regina laughed at the idea altogether, there was no way on earth that she was setting foot on the land to where she had banished her awful mother.

There was also another segment, which spoke of strange creatures, which inhabited the Land of Oz, that were able to carry curses without being effected by them. It was said they were mammals with wings, who could, with a single bite or a scratch of their paws, transmit the curse to another. These creatures intrigued Regina, but then she would have to actually have control over them, plus getting to Oz would require a certain hat whose owner Regina happened to despise.

When it came to the Enchanted Forest, there were no objects nor animals she could use.

Of course, she could always get Maleficent's needle as well as her curse, but getting her hands on that blasted object was far more complicated than creating a curse of her own. For Maleficent had grown attached to the stupid pointy object, she had been using it on herself ever since they first met – what a sorry sight her friend had been - and had also used it to poison her mortal enemy's daughter, Aurora, with the same damnation she had in mind for Snow. The needle was far too precious to Maleficent, she would never part with it, of that, Regina was absolutely sure.

It was when Regina had been ready to throw the damned book inside the fireplace, frustrated that the world seemed to be conspiring against her revenge, that she noticed something on the inside page of the book's cover. There was a picture-like drawing of what looked to be a tree, but the branches were all blackened, twisted and dry, there was not a leaf in sight, no green whatsoever on the drawing. The tree looked unhealthy and desiccated but the fruits were all plump and colorful, the contrast between the bright colors of red used to paint them with the rest of the picture was astounding.

The inscriptions around the picture told her the seed of this tree had been thoroughly corrupted with dark magic whilst creating a special brand of fruits. The tree was a tempting one, for even if it did not lure with its looks, it seduced with its fruits, which, if consumed, killed the poor hungry soul instantly.

Regina then remembered such a tree was the central piece of the Blue witch's garden, which was said to be the most prosperous and extensive in all the land. All that ventured to climb it's high enchanted walls never lived to tell the tale. But the witch was long gone, along with her garden, it took a lady giant and some unfortunate mother laid curses, but eventually the witch had met her demise.

Regina felt as if she was hitting dead end after dead end, flames almost erupting from her fingers as she ran them about the drawing. As if to save the book from destruction, her attention was drawn from incinerating it by a tapping noise on a nearby window.

Effortlessly opening said window with her magic, Regina observed a dark crow as it flew about the dimly lit room and landed right beside her, rating it's paws upon the arm of her chair. She knew this creature, had enchanted it herself, she knew there was only one person who would be able to have access to it. A small piece of rolled parchment was tied to the animal's leg and she read its contents twice. Regina then decided it was time to step out of the shadows and go back to her castle and to her duty. Even if it meant being in the tempting presence of that thief. After three days, Regina had forgotten why was it that she had found it so awful to share oxygen with him.

…

The relief sentiment, however, was shorty lived for only five minutes after she had puffed herself back to her castle and there he was. Robin of fucking Locksley with all questions and squinty eyes and Regina felt like screaming her face off at him. Mainly because she could feel that damned pull, that inexplicable desire to be touched everywhere by him, even if her reason told her to incinerate him. She felt her heart clench on her chest, something she had very little memory of feeling towards any other and that terrified the life out of her.

She then, did what she did best, dressed her true colors with a mask on disdain and mistreated him. As she puffed him out of her sight and to the farthest room from where she had stood at the time, her father sighed heavily beside her, bringing her full attention back to him once the spell was cast.

"Regina-" he started in a small voice, he only called her by her given name when they were alone, and even then, it was always a little more than a whisper. Regina knew that was all her doing and could not help but regret-

"Father," she interrupted him before she could dwell in any more deep feelings.

"Regina," he spoke again and this time Regina simply took a deep breath and waited for him to continue, "What is the purpose of that man being here?" his voice sounded tired, it always did.

"He's the captain of my personal guard, father-" Regina explained, feeling that her cheeks had betrayed her by heating up, "We have been through this already."

"Regina, my dear-" he took her right hand in his and Regina found it odd how the small gesture of affection made her heart feel so much lighter. "I'm certain you can find a better man for the job. He clearly does not have any military training and knows near to nothing about the ways-" he stuttered a little to make his point, Regina noted that even though she was still his only daughter, he was quite intimidated by her, "I can see how uneasy he makes you my dear, is it really worth-?"

"Daddy," she placed her other hand on his, squeezing it with care, "He-" but Regina could not find her words; she did not even know where she stood on the subject.

Her father was right. The thief did make her uneasy. Uneasy and infuriated, horny and so utterly perplexed.

_She should get rid of him._

And yet-

_Then do it already_, the imp pressured.

_NO!_ The young woman and the half-naked Queen shrieked in unison.

"Father-" Regina was able to recollect herself from all the shouting inside her head, "He is the best man for the job because he _has_ no military training. Father, he has no scruples, no code, no honor and will kill instantly at my command, that is the kind of man I need as my protective shadow. And trust me when I say I am not distressed because of him," Gods, she was such a liar; "Being Queen is upsetting." She chose to reason with the obvious, for she never truly wanted to be Queen.

"My dear, I simply worry that-" he started again but Regina cut him off before he could continue.

"End of discussion father," she said in a final commanding tone. She took a deep breath and wondered when was it that she had started treating her father the same way her mother had.

"Are you attending Prince James' engagement celebration my dear?" her father's timid voice snapped her out of her musings.

Regina had to laugh at his question, "Prince James? As in King George's son?"

"Yes" her father wore a confused frown.

"Would not miss it for the world" she smirked, her spirits all of a sudden lifting in an astonishing speed.

…

It was the most ridiculous affair Regina had ever heard of, and she had been married to the King of ridicule himself. Prince 'James' – who Regina knew far too well was nowhere near being the actual – was to be wed to none other than Princess Abigail, daughter of King Midas. Looked like George made good in his promise to sell off his son to the highest bidder after all.

She remembered James had never been very preoccupied with whom he was to wed, having never really lingered on tender feelings, he had been much more concerned about when it was that he was to become King. Regina knew James would not have been displeased at the prospect of taking a young, pretty bride like Princess Abigail.

However, the man who used his name and wore his face was not James, and Regina had to wonder if his righteous and shy brother had objected to marring someone he hardly knew. Especially when that somebody was known for being the frost Princess herself, managing to be more irritable than anybody Regina had ever met in court. She could not help but feel a streak of pity for him; she had been in a similar situation and knew it was not pleasant at all.

But Regina could do nothing to aid the young man, and even if she could, she was not going to. She had far more important issues to worry about and could care less for anybody's happiness but her own. And her happiness depended solemnly in the misery of one particular individual she could not seem to get her hands on.

She had kept her distance from the outlaw, scorning at him and bellowing orders and executions as much as she could but always keeping the man at arm's length. Any kind of forward advance he would make resulted in him being transported as far away from her as she could muster; sometimes, for her amusement and his misfortune, she would purposefully send him slashing into the river she had watched him bathe in a few months ago.

She could not have somebody who made her feel so odd perform any kind of control over her, even if it was only sex – and deep inside she knew there was more than just sex between the pair of them, but refused to acknowledge it - even if he had been the best she had ever had.

_No!_

He was supposed to be an entertaining distraction; she had always preferred a rough calloused touch driving her to ecstasy, a firmer sturdy hand as opposed to those soft fingers nobility possessed. Yet now, it had turned into something else, it made Regina's chest feel as if it was housing a fully-grown dragon.

And _that_ she would not withstand.

…

On her third day back at the castle, Regina's spirits had risen when word that Snow White had been spotted near the northern Kingdoms had reached her. The approximate location was a good five days ride from her castle, but even so, that information surprised Regina for it showed Snow was much bolder – or stupid, she was probably just stupid – to be so near after what had happened on their last encounter.

_Foolish girl_

She had been particularly delighted with the prospect of Snow being in _that_ particular region. For Regina's alliances with the Lords of the Kingdoms further to the north were tight, one in particular stood out from the crowd, for she had nurtured her 'ties' with him for a little more than a year.

Regina had smirked at the prospect of seeing one of her former lovers again at a certain royal engagement ball that was to happen in a few days. A certain someone who also despised Snow, always thought of her as a foolish, spoiled and childish, and most importantly, that was certain to aid her in Regina pursuit of the princess. A man that ruled over his late father's estate up in the north and whom Regina knew just how to persuade to do her biding.

She was surprised to feel yet another alien sensation on the left side of her chest as she pondered on which advance she would make use of in order to convince Jamie to hunt down Snow for her. She would most certainly have to-

It ached, pinched at her heart, making her chest heavy with sentiment, something she had almost no memory of feeling at all over the past few years. It took Regina a while to identify the feeling, but as she tried to come up with a plan to talk Jamie into siding with her, guilt crept up her spine like venom.

_This was ridiculous! Impossible!_

She had slept with men to get what she wanted _all_ of the time. Why should this be any different? She might even enjoy the exchange since she remembers Jamie was a thoroughly dedicated student when it came to the art of pleasing her.

And yet, that niggling irritating feeling would not leave her be, it plagued her thoughts and clouded her judgement.

It came as an utter shock to Regina that imagining herself with another made her feel remorse because of undefined feelings for none other than that irritatingly handsome thief, who had apparently a bigger grip on her heart than she-

_No_

That was _it_. Her heart, that was the problem, it had been the problem all along. It had been tricking her into making the stupidest decisions she had ever made. Her heart clouded her judgement, her skin deceived her, her senses betrayed her every time that DAMNED man was around. That irresistible chemistry she shared with the outlaw was standing in the way of her revenge.

But luckily for Regina, she had just the remedy for it.

…

When the day of the engagement party had finally arrived, after much consideration, Regina was ready to make a sacrifice – if only for one night – for the sake of her revenge.

She looked back at her naked reflection on the full-length mirror, the only reflective surface that had remained inside her sleeping chambers. As she studied her bare body with lips hanging slightly parted, face devoid of any paint, and limbs still dotted with droplets of scented water, long raven hair cascading down her back, Regina reassured herself she was more than capable of carrying out her plan.

A shiver brought goosebumps to her moist skin when a soft wind invaded her rooms through the opened balcony, snapping her out of her thoughts. Ever so slowly, Regina flexed the fingers of her right hand as if testing them out, not trusting them to do their duty correctly.

_Could she really do this?_

_She must, if she is ever to see the end of her revenge, she must. _

She had done this countless times before, had been anything but gentle and had reveled on the deed, drinking in the characteristic glow of the organ, drugging herself on the fact she had total control.

But she had never removed her own.

_She could do this. She _had_ to do this._

The hand started to move up, past her intimacy – which had been left utterly untouched, much to her dismay – her stomach, her middle, until it found its rest in the middle of her sternum, fingers spread, just waiting for her command.

She would do this, but only for this one night alone. She would rip out her own heart in order to carry on with her plans, in order to not be distracted by _him_ and the storm of feelings he brought to her chest, in order not to go insane with guilt once she-

_Pain_

Her hand was inside her chest, her fingers closing about her heart, she could feel the thumping as it pulsated hot blood about her body. The blood that made her feel guilt, regret, doubt and fear over everything she was about to do. If the heart were not there anymore to cloud her head with these weak feelings, then she would be free. Free to let hatred fill her soul and do what needed to be done.

The pain was almost overwhelming; Regina had thought the owners of the hearts she had ripped out in the past had been pathetic for they had screeched in agonizing pain when she had performed the deed. And yet now Regina was fighting with her very last string of will power not to bellow in ache.

She did not know when her eyes had closed, but as she pulled the pulsating organ out of her chest, they were screwed shut; tears tracks moistened the patch of skin beside both her eyes. Regina took a huge intake of breath and released, her heart still securely clenched in her hand.

_Nothing_

She opened her eyes and a sense of absolute numbness reigned about her whole being. Regina took another tentative breath, relieved and yet not quite so, but only empty, she looked down at the fisted palm that held her heart tightly.

Regina turned her hand and ever so slowly moved her fingers in order to get a better look at her life force. It was dark, of that she had never had any doubt about, blackened in a way that seemed beyond repair. There were several streaks of vivid red all around it, but they were nothing but mere decorations in the face of the true color of her soul, black, withered, rotten to the core.

A small smile crept about her face as she was no longer met with shaking amounts of sentiment over every single thing she pondered upon, it was peaceful, almost comforting, maybe it was best if she-

_No, absolutely not._

For as long as Regina could remember, she had always felt her mother's heart had never been kept where it had truly belonged. A few years back, Rumpelstiltskin had revealed to her how Cora had ripped it off herself in order to marry Regina's father, never to put it back inside her chest again. Regina had lived the consequences of having a heartless mother who sought for nothing but excellence from her, never showing a hint of sentiment. Living in blissful numbness, Regina now gathered.

Now she could understand why. Because Regina herself could not feel a thing, not anger at everything her mother had done to her, nor disgust at all the ten torturous years of her marriage, she could feel a trace of her simmering anger towards Snow White but it was not nearly as intense as it always was. And most importantly, her chest felt free and unbothered whilst she pondered upon the several positions she would bend herself into in order to get Jamie's help.

Regina closed her fingers about her heart again and took a few strides until she reached her dresser and opened an empty box, which rested upon it. She placed her still beating heart inside the wooden confinements and closed the lid, making sure to cast every protective spell known to her over the small object that now, house her lifeline.

She took a pointy hairpin from the dresser and proceeded to prickle one of her fingers in order to draw a droplet of blood. She placed the reddened finger upon the box and focused on her blood magic, sealing the box with that last powerful spell. Rumpelstiltskin, after all, had a nasty habit of trespassing in her castle and Regina had to make sure he was not able to get his filthy claws on her heart. Blood magic would ensure that.

She cured her finger blowing a small gush of air to it from her enchanted lips and turned around to face the mirror once more, her body still devoid of my cloth.

Regina smirked; _this was going to be too easy_

With a swift movement of her hand, she was dressed from head to toe in black – she was a widow after all – her usual darkened paint adorned her eyes and a vivid red color dominated her lips, her hair pined high as a long ponytail feel to the empty side of her chest.

…

Regina was the spoken image of grace and poise herself; her head was clear and her objective even more so. When she walked past the entourage of knights she had assembled to escort her to the ball, they parted like the red sea. Regina smirked and strode with conviction to her carriage, not having anybody open the door for her, but doing it herself and slipping inside with grace whilst shutting the door with-

Her body was drawn back outside by a strange force, which pulled the door opened.

Who would _dare_?

The question was answered right away when her eyes landed on the source of the eerie pull.

_Robin of fucking Locksley_

Regina had no time to react – only managing to send him a glare that could kill - as a smirk worked its way on his dimpled face and he entered the carriage quickly, closing the door behind him.

He sat in front of her wearing a smug expression upon his face Regina wanted to punch away. The peace and numbness that had reigned upon her head until now, disappeared altogether. She was angry, angry at _him_ and Regina found it odd how she could actually feel the emotion simmering on the pit of her stomach, something she had not felt ever since she had pulled out her heart.

She could not let it show, so she placed her hands neatly upon her lap and straightened up her posture as much as it was humanly possible, giving him the best scorn she could muster.

_Just breathe_

"Forgive me your majesty, I'm late-" he said with a conceited air as he slumped, like the savage he was, on his seat, "-but I think my invitation must have gotten lost in between messengers" he completed.

Regina gave him no answer whatsoever hoping that the silence might make him go away. She was so engrossed in keeping a straight cold façade; Regina only came to realize he had given the command for their departure when their vehicle started to move.

As if awoken by the movement Regina set her eyes back on the smug looking man and fought back as the emotions towards him seemed to simmer from all her pores. No longer making her heart ache – for it was not there – but still making her _react_.

Pulling herself together, she asked gravely, trying not to move a muscle "What the hell do you think you are doing?"

The outlaw was pulling up an act that had Regina furious, acting in a fake innocent matter that made her want to scratch his eyes out, "Why, my job of course! As captain of your personal guard I must make sure you are _safe_." He brought his hand over the hollow space that once contained his heart for more dramatic effect and Regina felt like screaming.

"I do not remember summoning you for this particular journey." She retorted not really looking at him.

"And I don't remember telling you I would answer to your every summons." he fought back; he was trying to make her snap, to draw something from her.

But Regina was resolute that she would not be giving into her emotions this time. Even though they were not supposed to be there at all, and yet, with every passing moment, they would inch closer to the surface.

She narrowed her eyes and bit back, "I do not want you here"

He got closer, too close, with every nearing inch Regina could feel more clearly the ire and desire she felt for the man.

_What on earth was happening? She should not have been feeling any of this! _

All she could do was take in a deep breath in order to calm her nerves.

_Fuck, he was so close._

"Now, now, we both know that's just, not true." His voice rang and Regina could feel the temperature on her cheeks rise.

"Don't try my patience outlaw, or else-" she started fuelled with her Queen bravado but the outlaw cut her.

"Or else what?" his small shout startled her and she gave an involuntary jump at his sudden outburst. This was all wrong, all wrong, she should be numb, not enraged!

"I am done with this conversation-"

Why had not she thought of this before? This had been the way she had found to rid herself of his presence for more than a week now. Just send him away, probably splashing into the river and far, far away from her.

Regina brought her right hand from her lap and raised it, the enchantment already ready to be cast. She could feel the magic slip through her fingers and for a couple of seconds already felt at peace that she was to be left alone once again.

But the feeling lasted for a small amount of time for a firm grip was pressuring her wrist only a second after, "But _I'm_ not done your majesty" he said in a warning tone in between gritted teeth.

Regina could not believe her eyes when she saw that the outlaw had grabbed her wrist in a fruitless attempt of stopping her.

But only it had not been fruitless at all. The whole exchange shocked her to no end, Regina felt her magic subside inside her as the waves of electricity that usually came with their skin to skin contact took over.

It was all wrong! Everything about this was absurdly wrong, completely out of place. He still had ahold of her wrist and all Regina could do was stare back at him with puzzled eyes, her mask of indifference slipping as shock and slight despair took over. His gaze burned, it scorched her soul and even though Regina opened her mouth twice to try to snap at him, she was unable to speak, the words got caught on her throat.

He was suddenly so close, so much closer than before, the waves of energy his intense glare was sending her made shivers run down her spine. He let go of her hand, and the action made it drop unceremoniously on her lap, she had not realized this whole exchange had made her arm limp.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" he asked in a different way, half-whispering, as if he was indeed troubled by the way she had been acting.

She took in a generous amount of air through her nose and closed her eyes in order to get herself together and respond with dignity, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Oh, I think you do-" he retorted seeming to know better.

_Gods, what if he knew?_

He did not, he could not know of his true effect upon her. She had been so careful after all, "Well, not everybody is like you and can hardly keep it in their pants" because that was the most plausible explanation, he was a man and she had not let him touch her in more than a week.

"That is not what I meant-" he tried but she beat him to it, the idea already formulated inside her head, it was a good justification and she would talk herself into believing it if she had to.

"Of course it is, what else could it possibly be? You're petty and grumpy because I haven't let you touch me ever since-" but she was unable to finish, the man's words overlapping her own.

"Do you think that I-" he raised his voice to cut her but she was already overlapping his remarks herself.

"I do not think of _you,_ outlaw. At all!" Regina threw as much venom as her could muster into her words. In doing so her voice was raised and she was near to screaming at his face, which was so close, so drowsily close to her own.

"Liar!" he shouted right at her face, so much sentiment filled his widened blue orbs Regina felt her chest tighten.

That had been the last straw. Regina did not even register the motion of her hand – everything seemed so unreal by this point, she could swear there was an alarming amount of frustration and anger cooking up on the pit of her stomach - until a stinging hot feeling dominated her palm when it met his left cheek.

The contact was brief and yet Regina felt as if a lightning bolt had struck her when her flesh met his. Her palm burned, her pulse had quickened to a speed almost unnatural, and an intense feeling washed over her like a gigantic wave, swallowing Regina completely, dominating her will.

She quickly withdrew back to sit straight on her bench, trying to put some distance between them, hoping that it might ease the overwhelming emotions that took over. Her hand had fallen to her lap once more and Regina could not seem to take her eyes off it, regarding it with puzzlement, silently questioning it for its actions.

Regina did not know which feeling dominated the most; – since she should not have been able to feel any – the rage and anger she felt towards him for being so disobedient and making her heart – which was not even present at the moment – stutter with wanton, the fury she felt towards herself for letting it come to this point. The absurd curiosity to understand why it was only in his presence that she was able to feel at all when deprived of her heart, or the complete dread that made every single hair on her body stand straight because she was fully aware she was not meant to feel _at all_.

As her breathing eased, Regina's eyes darted from her reddened palm to the man in question to discover he was not staring back at her anymore but looking intently at her palm. She became aware of a flush on her skin and as if studying an unknown creature, raised her hand ever so slowly – his gaze dutifully following its journey – completely entranced by her actions alone.

Their eyes met when the hand reached a certain height and Regina was on the receiving end of a very annoyed outlaw, his expression severe and firm. But any face he could pull did not frighten away Regina's will as she moved on her seat again, but this time to get closer to him and placed her still warm hand upon the cheek she had just struck violently, using so much delicacy even Regina herself was surprised.

The buzz was back instantly and it drew a small gasp from her lips before she could stop herself. She knew that she was to expect their odd connection, that pleasurable and yet mystic sensation she felt when they touched, and yet with this new exchange everything seemed to slow down, her senses being treated by some mysterious balm that was found only in his flesh. This time it did not burn but appease, the cutting sensation the slap had left on her palm being miraculously taken away by the contact.

"But, how-?" the words were out without her permission so softy she hardly recognized it.

Regina inspected the man's cheek as if she had never seen the likes of him ever before in her life, only with the pads of her fingers she could sense how every string of her skin pulsated alongside with his.

Regina was surprised to see the outlaw closed his eyes under her soft touch, which encouraged her to bring her other hand to tentatively touch at his other cheek. The sensation was buzzing and _wonderful_, it felt so good it seemed as if it was some manner of drug, she could feel him relax under her touch and tears started prickling on her eyes – Regina had no idea why.

"How is this possible?" she whispered again to herself but the words came to life from between her lips.

She had unconsciously gotten even closer to him during this tender exchange. She could feel the hot breath from his respiration as he exhaled through his mouth licking his lips when he was done. That deed alone awoke something inside her she had not touched in a long while, he was so vulnerable, so trusting letting her touch him with so much liberty after everything she had done to push him away.

She went for his lips with so much fear it was almost tangible, the voices in her head for once were quiet but this particular distress came from somewhere deep within her. Regardless of her hesitations, Regina's lips closed about the man's bottom lip and she closed her eyes at the warm, comforting sensation they gave her.

It felt _right_, even if his own were non responding, the contact felt true, as if it was meant to be. Regina's blood started running a tad faster in her veins when she placed a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth, it felt so familiar and yet completely different. He had quite noticeably calmed under her touch and Regina sighed at the sensations that washed over her. For that moment, there was nothing else in the world but them and their joined lips and Regina sighed at the peace she felt. She was about to nuzzle her nose of his cheek as he moaned at her contact when a loud knock on the door snapped them back into reality.

Going back to complete consciousness, the weight of what she had just done overwhelmed Regina, who drew back from him completely, praying he did not notice her cheeks burned with awkwardness.

When the contact was broken, she missed his warmth immediately and that feeling terrified her. This could _not_ stand. So Regina straightened up her dress and gave him a cold unfeeling look and commanded, "Do not dare and follow me"

…

Creating as much distance as she could from the outlaw assisted Regina immensely in getting her head back in place for the evening. She managed to make an entrance fit to impress and terrify the nobles that infested the party – Regina was pleased to notice that none of the ones which she had shooed away from her castle had attended, probably still running for their dear lives.

Spotting the man she so eagerly sought was not at all difficult, for Dukes, Counts, Princesses, Queens and Kings alike would take a couple of steps back and bow as Regina passed them by, opening up more than necessary space for her to parade on. _He_ had been the only one who had not retreated from her – and had Regina had her heart where it belonged, getting to experience firsthand as people of so much power cowered back in fear of her, would have sent a thrilling shiver of pleasure about her body – as she approached him with her usual royal stride.

Jamie bowed his head respectfully towards her but did not move otherwise, not back nor forward. When he lifted it back to face her, Regina took the opportunity to study the lad from head to toe and did very little to hide that very fact.

He had grown, a couple of years had passed since their last encounter and it seemed the young man had only changed for the better. His once clean face now carried just the right amount of auburn stubble, his eyes still a vibrant green, his jaw seemed to be more defined, more masculine and he had a smirk on his lips to match his physical evolution.

From what was visible through his traditional Northern garments his body was just as well kept as it had been when they had first met. When Regina was satisfied of eating the young man's appearance up with her eyes, she simply uttered, "_Come_" and walked past him not looking behind to see if he had followed, she knew he would, she had trained him well.

She led him away from the ruckus of the celebration, toward one of the many rooms in the ground floor of the castle, which were emptied of guests. There was very little illumination in the room she had randomly chosen, but it suited Regina just fine. There were big French windows that led to a grand garden, which was decorated with living plants as well as golden ones.

Regina gathered the view was quite spectacular, the gold and the green mingled in a way she had not seen before, a few solitary torches and the moonlight, which created an exquisite effect, illuminated the vision.

But she did not feel anything about it whatsoever, the hole on her chest had started to feel heavy, more like a curse, a burden than a blessing. She felt like she was missing out on so much by removing it, the notion hit her for a split second but then she brushed it away, slapping herself internally and thinking of how weak she had just sounded.

The lad had indeed followed her, but no longer was he her shadow, as he chose to lean against one of the only bare walls the room possessed, both his arms and legs crossed, he looked back at her with a grin tugged on the corner of his lips. She returned the gesture by giving him a small malicious show of teeth before breaking the silence, "Long time, no see"

"Indeed" he responded not moving a muscle.

There was a moment of silence in which Regina chose to study him once more, he was _different_. She could see it more clearly now, that they were alone. His posture much less relaxed, his shoulders were held with pride but she could see that now he carried a great weight in them.

"I am sorry about your father Jamie," Regina broke the silence once more with as much sympathy in her voice as she could muster in her current condition.

He nodded and replied, "Thank ye Regina, I appreciate your sentiment" he gave her a tight smile and Regina knew that it was still a raw wound in his heart.

She understood, were she to lose her father she would probably lose her mind completely.

After a beat, he continued in a completely different air, "I am not sorry for yer husband."

At that, Regina cracked up a small smile and gave him, "Neither am I dear."

"I gather that ye were able to do as ye had planned then?" he asked her.

"Yes," she licked her lips, the smallest amount of excitement bubbling on the pit of her stomach at the memory of her husband's passing, "yes I did."

"I'm glad to hear it then," he said pushing himself off of the wall and striding towards a small table.

Regina had not taken notice of the piece of furniture until he made his way towards it. Upon its surface lay a golden tray with several golden goblets filled with wine – Regina knew Midas had the touch of gold but all that metallic yellow was staring to give her a headache, the man had no taste. Jamie took one goblet in each hand and offered one to her.

He lifted the golden chalice, and his and Regina's clicked together as he said, "May he rot in hell."

"Yes" Regina nearly hissed clicking her chalice in his, she quickly sniffed the contents of her goblet and being satisfied in not finding any trace of poison, took a large gulp from it.

There were several minutes of silence, in which both took sips of their drinks and unashamedly eyed each other – there was an unasked for familiarity betwixt the pair, they had been intimate for far too long for such a thing not to exist. He was probably cataloguing all the changes she had gone through, which were, not few.

Taking this moment to her advantage, Regina bit her lower lip looking at his own which immediately drew his gaze toward her mouth. She was relieved to register her mind felt at ease and her soul did not tremble with a single feeling – let alone guilt – over the fact that she had now taken two steps backward until the back of her knees found the soft edge of a sofa, malice pooled inside her eyes.

Jamie looked at her inventively, eating her with his eyes as Regina finished the last drop of her wine and unceremoniously dropped the chalice on the floor, uttering a soft "_Oops_" as the clattering sound reverberated across the room.

His gaze burned in her when Regina started unbuttoning the cape she had been wearing to cover a dress she had worn with the purpose of driving him crazy. As each button became undone, she could hear Jamie's breathing get a little more agitated. Regina did her handy work blindly but with incredible accuracy, more concerned about eying the man in question with hunger and desire, playing her part perfectly, so she could bask in the reward later on.

When all the bindings that kept the coat strapped tightly to her body had been undone, Regina pushed the heavy black garment off herself with grace and speed. The effect of what lay underneath being almost instant as Jamie dropped his own goblet on the floor – wine stained the ground, as he had been too busy watching her instead of drinking the contents of his goblet – and in a few strides the warmth of his torso could be felt by her own.

His hands went automatically to her hips and Regina inhaled his masculine scent as he pressed harder against her, letting her feel his manhood was already quite aware of her beauty.

They were lucky Regina's mind was so completely empty of emotion, so completed blanked from all the good sexual tension she should have been feeling, that she was able to register voices that once were distant become more and more loud and clear.

Regina placed her hands on his burly chest and pushed him away, the look he gave her was one of complete puzzlement, until she placed one finger to her mouth gesturing for him to keep quiet, then the man was able to understand this place was not to be as private as they desired in a few seconds.

He took two steps back taking a deep inhale of air whilst his eyes looked to the ground. His head snapped just as the voices were outside the door, extending his hand to her, he asked, "Care for a stroll about the gardens your majesty?"

…

The arrow was quick. Not a second after their blazing eyes met - and Regina's blood began to run fast and hot in her veins, his presence igniting a storm of feelings inside her - it was set free from his hold.

All she could register was that the target was clearly somewhere near her head. She could see the arrow travel in slow motion, breaking the small barriers of the air, and yet, she was not capable of using her magic to steer its course.

The sound of flesh meeting the metal point assaulted her senses, a ripping awful sound of veins popping with the narrow but sound damage the arrow made.

Her head instantly turned to the side in order to face the now impaled hand just beside her head, a hand that not ten second ago had been wandering around her dress, feeling up her breasts with gusto. Regina's loud intake of breath came simultaneously with the lad's infuriated roar of pain.

That man, that ridiculous little thief. Who the _fuck_ did he think he was?

Regina's shock was quickly substituted with the feeling of absolute wrath, and since he was in her presence again – still gawking at her from that stupid tree just a few faces away, white as a sheet - the emotion hit her hard. She took one deep intake of air through her nose, taking in all of the elements about her, the distinctive smell of blood that undoubtfully ran down the pillar, the faint odor of manly tang that came from Jamie, the smell of nature around her, but nothing could distract her from the sight of that infernal man.

The arm belonging to the pierced hand now caged her in place, between it and the pillar. Regina's instincts took over as one of her hands shot up and grabbed the wooden section of the outlaw's arrow. She pulled with certainty and strength – the arrow had run deep, having sunk itself a little unto the soft surface of the entirely made of gold pillar - opting not to use magic for this, remembering how helpless she had been without it. From that day forward she had decided to start making use of her physical attributes for different ends other than mere seduction, she did not want to be reduced to somebody who resorted to her magic for everything, like the Dark One.

Plus, Regina could not deny she did like to get her hands dirty at times.

Or in this case, her face, for when the arrow came off, another masculine grunt of pain sounding from her left, some of his blood splattered on her, as she been just beside his run through hand. She could feel the warm thick liquid prickle in several regions of her face, neck and cleavage. One particularly heavy drop that had splattered on her eyebrow was too dense and started making its way down Regina's face passing by her eye - she did not blink, even as the liquid stung - traced its way down her cheek, passing the corner of her mouth and ending its track on her chin, it's insignificant remains dropping on the stone floor.

Jamie's hand quickly moved from where it had been trapped – hence freeing Regina from her human cage - so he could inspect it, cursing loudly in his Gaelic native language.

But Regina paid little mind to her Northern companion, choosing to focus her attentions on the man who had driven her to ecstasy so many times and now was driving her absolutely mad.

She diverted her gaze from him for a moment to inspect his weapon of choice, _an arrow_, typical, since he was an archer. But, what amazed her was the fact that this was HIS arrow, fashioned by him or one of his dirty merry fellows. She could not help but frown at the fact that that ignorant idiot did not even make use of her much finer weapons, much better sculpted arrows.

When her eyes went back to meet the figure of the outlaw, Jamie's had found him as well. The initial shock of being shot in such circumstances had clearly worn off as he stared daggers at the thief, who remained motionless. Jamie was quick with his unharmed hand to go for the hilt of his dagger that rested on his belt and with a low grunt – that she had heard many times before but in more pleasant situations – he managed to pull the blade halfway out before Regina stopped him with a hand on the shoulder.

"No" she said, her voice was raspy as if she had been screaming for an hour, which she had, internally.

Jamie's movements ceased as soon as she spoke, he turned toward her with a puzzled frown upon his face. She simply looked quickly his way and gave, "I'll handle it" dropping her hand from his shoulder and stepping away from him toward the outlaw.

With her free hand, Regina called upon her dark magic and grabbed the outlaw by the throat with an invisible grip using so much force – her enchantment being ignited by her rage – that the spell managed to lift him up from the tree. She squeezed tighter, his own hands having come to grasp at his throat helplessly – and in doing so, dropped his bow - and decided to bring him closer to her.

Regina had to tilt her head a little in order to look at him for he was levitating about five feet from the ground, her magic very much still suffocating the life out of him.

_Let him suffer for a bit_

When she was pretty sure that a few moments more of this would succeed in killing him, she loosed her magical grip on his throat completely. As a result, the man in question to fell from the height he had been hoisted. He landed like a rag doll on the hard stone floor with a loud thud and for a few moments, was motionless, laying on his back with his eyes closed. Regina scorned herself for going too hard on him so early on, if he had passed out due to the lack of oxygen or the fall, she would not able to continue on her mistreats and she was not nearly done.

Thankfully, he stirred, groaning as he took several deep breaths, as if he had been held under water and Regina could not help but let a malevolent smirk adorn her lips. She did not, however, have the patience to wait for his aching bones and muscles to pull his body to the standing position. Feeling her magic simmer on the tips of her fingers she set it upon him violently, his crumpled body started to move against his will pulling him up, making him stand regardless of the pain – that was quite visible in his blood shot blue eyes.

Regina still held onto the arrow he had shot, and she could see out of the corner of her eye that regardless of her warning, Jamie had drawn his dagger, which he now firmly clutched, but did not move from the spot she had left him in, so she paid him little mind.

All her attentions were on the man standing stiffly in front of her, now only a few paces away, his head was slightly tilted as if to defy her, his jaw was tense and his limbs trembled a little. Quite evidently, the only thing holding him up was her magic, but he had a face of one who would be damned before he showcased he felt any discomfort at all in front of her.

_We will just see about that_

"Are you completely out of your mind?" her voice was rasp, her anger seeming to finally have taken over her vocal chords as well.

He opened his mouth to reply but Regina cut him off before he could, not sure if hearing his voice would make her snap his neck on the spot, "Who the _fuck_ do you think you are?"

She started taking steps in order to narrow the distance between them, her grip on the arrow was so mighty she did understand how it had not snapped yet. This time he made no attempt to reply to her inquisition and Regina did not know what made her angrier, his lack of biting words in retort or his defying look.

She stopped two feet away from him, waiting for an answer, after a few moments his voice finally sounded, "Who's your little friend?" he gestured with his chin toward Jamie.

She raised an eyebrow in surprise at his words – she was not _that_ shocked, she knew this whole business had originated from his jealous disposition – and bit back just as good, "That is none of your fucking business."

"I beg to differ," he practically snarled.

"You beg to differ?" she mimed him with a laugh, "And may I ask on what grounds?"

Instead of delivering his usual quick fire responses, the outlaw's lips pressed together with one another in a thin line. For a moment, Regina was thoroughly amused by having made the infuriating man – _finally_ – speechless and a little of her fury was substituted by a touch of dark humor as silence reigned whilst she waited for his response.

Seeing he had none, Regina decided to take it a step further.

"Oh, let me guess," she took another step towards him almost closing the distance between them and shuddered for a second remembering the last time they had been this close he had shoved a blade up her gut – of course that had been a dream, but still, it had felt real at the time.

She pulled herself together rather quickly and continued with a mocking tone, "Are you jealous?" she let the question hang but all he did to respond was let out loud outtake of breath through his nose, Regina smirked at his discomfort.

This next question was delivered in a different light, in a low sensual tone as she neared her lips to his, "Were you envious that I would lick his dagger as I once did your arrow, huh?"

Regina could feel the raw sexual energy emanating from him as the question landed and he bit his lower lip, she grinned in victory but felt she could torture him further. She brought the tip of the arrow – that still held remains of Jamie's blood – close to her lips and, without taking her eyes off the outlaw, – whose gaze was now painfully penetrating – ran her tongue about the iron, from base to the very tip. The taste was strong, she could not set apart which of the elements made it flavor so vile, cooper reigned about her tasting senses, but it was all worth it.

From the outlaw's lips she could only make out a breathy, "_Fuck_"

She brought the arrow away from her face and gave him one last wicked smile, before her face shifted into something else entirely. She gave him the hardest look she could muster – one she knew could scare the life out of anyone, not him though, _damn him_ – and delivered, her voice now harsh and commanding, the tone of a true royal – mother would have been proud.

"I do not belong to anybody, _thief_" she practically spat his title, a rage beyond her control was building up inside her as Regina remembered all the people who had claimed her as their own, mother, Leopold, _Jefferson_.

She had either killed or marred those people for life and she would be damned if there was any other who would dare to think they owned her.

Regina belonged to _herself_; she had sold her soul to darkness in order to obtain her freedom.

"Was this,-" she held up the arrow in front of his face, "-meant to mark me?"

His eyes grew impossibly wide at her remarks, as if something had hit him square in the face, something that had always been there but he had been blind to see it. He tried to open his mouth to speak but it was too late, Regina did not want to hear it.

Her words were loud and clear fuelled by blind rage, "I am not _your_ cattle"

Her grip on the arrow grew even stronger and without a second thought, Regina shoved the sharp point into the man's shoulder, feeling the piercing end rip layer by layer of tissue, and this time, there was no holding back screaming from his part.

Regina's hand did not linger on the arrow but shot to his throat – she tried her hardest to ignore zapping ever-present sensation - as she brought his face impossibly close to hers and finished, "You are _mine_"

…

**Tada! Thoughts?**


	15. Blind Endeavors

**Happy first of many Sundays without Once Upon a Time!**

**Thank you my darling Zoe for helping me out 3**

…

Robin's head was abuzz, his forehead covered with sweat but his face cold, he felt slightly feverish, he almost lost aim of his target when the wave of chocolate brown washed over him.

In a heartbeat, his arrow was gone; it hit its target precisely, right in the middle of that ridiculous boy's lumbering hand, the hand that had been touching her, caressing her side, squeezing her breast. The sight had nearly driven Robin to set his aim right in between the lad's eyes. Robin was actually quite surprised he did not opt for the kill shot when the sight before his eyes was killing _him_.

She had not been overjoyed about seeing him again after their encounter in the carriage. She made sure to make that painfully clear by using her dark magic to manipulate his body and almost squeeze the life out of him. As Robin fought for air, body hoisted from the ground, he had to ask himself what had _possessed_ him to act in such a fashion.

The answer did not come in time as he was starting to drift from consciousness whilst she played with his helpless body, he was very much being strangled death – Robin saw spots of black before his eyes whilst he fought to take a breath. She dropped him onto the hard, cold, stone floor as if he was a sack of rubbish just before he could travel to the land of the dead.

He had record of this woman being very mad, _raving_ mad at him, livid to the point of almost killing him when he had delivered the news of his failure in ending that brat Snow White. But this new flame in her eyes was truly insane, maybe it was due to the fact that now he could see the actual color of her eyes, it was all consuming fury, as if he had tampered with a sleeping dragon inside her.

Their undeniable connection was there, always there buzzing and mocking Robin as he had been helpless to move under the Queen's powerful magic. That electricity was a vice he was not able to give up on, and _she_ had also become a vice herself, even when she mistreated him, spat at him and treated him poorly, dropped his hot-and-ready-to-fuck-her-body into the cold waters of the river beside her castle, he just could not stay away.

So he braved her questions, he wanted to know who the auburn haired young man was and most importantly why she was behaving in the most inconsistent manner ever known to man? What was she doing with this lad? Why had she drawn away from Robin so suddenly? Why had she kissed him in that manner inside that bloody carriage only to let this _boy's_ hands feast upon her body?

Robin's head was thumping with an alarming amount of questions, but as the Queen brought his blood soaked arrow, an arrow he had made himself, near her lips and licked it in the most erotic manner Robin had ever seen, all the questions mingled together in a blur, his below the belt reaction never failing him.

The sexual bliss was very shortly lived for her next words were harsh and cold. The engines in his brain finally seemed to connect the dots of what the hell he was doing when she had asked him if the arrow was meant to mark her as his own.

Time seemed to stop as Robin realized that; _Yes!_ That was exactly it. Along the way into their perturbed, inconstant, damaging, undefined, scorching hot and feral relationship, a part of him had started thinking of her as his own, his mate. Probably the most primal bit of Robin that could not grasp that she was completely out of her mind as well as out of his reach and Robin was far beyond the point of ever having a significant other. They had performed the mating quite an alarming number of times in numerous positions and that seemed to have been enough for that primitive piece of him to associate her as his own.

It was foolish of him to deny he did not feel anything for her, he did, he felt it most intensely, most erratically, but Robin was not able to ponder upon what the feelings were exactly because all of a sudden a sharp pain invaded his senses. A throaty scream erupted from his mouth before Robin could stop it because the tip of the arrow he had sharpened so long ago in camp whilst in the company of the best of men was now housed inside his shoulder.

The pain was unbelievable, Robin screwed his eyes closed hard at the sting. He had been hit by arrows before, more times that he would have liked to recall, but not in that particular spot. The place she had picked housed a good deal of nerves, which sent signals to his brain to make him feel so much agony he felt like he was about to pass out.

Before his legs gave out though, Robin felt his whole body being engulfed by chilly smoke, a far too familiar fume that normally transported him to freezing cold water, and the pain suddenly ceased.

_Had she finally done it? Had she killed him?_

Robin decided to be taken by the magic and not fight it anymore, if he was indeed dead, what else could he possibly do? With the pain in his injured shoulder soothed, Robin closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.

When Robin exhaled, he was back at the castle, not dead, not at all dead but very much alive. He was back at the castle, her castle, his bedchambers. The first thing that hit his senses was the clattering sound of something dropping to the floor, his eyes searched for the source and found his arrow intact and no longer attached to his shoulder.

_His shoulder was- healed? _

Astoundingly so, yes, it was. His shirt however, had been the new target for more marring. It was ripped open and the left side of it completely in shreds. Robin was able to touch the skin where the arrow had just been and felt no pain whatsoever, no stickiness of blood, his body could register none of that agonizing pain anymore, the arrow lay clean on the floor; however, there was something else on his shoulder, something Robin had no recollection of ever being there before.

He walked towards a mirror, inspected his shoulder and found an abnormally straight lined scar, pink and closed up, all healed. No markings of stiches of any kind, quite simply a light red, slightly thick line looked back at him in his reflection on his left shoulder.

What on earth was that supposed to mean? Why would she attack him so violently only to heal him the next moment? Was this some type of trick? And the scar-

The truth hit him like a wagon.

_I am not your cattle_, she had said, _you are mine_

_She_ had marked him as her own; and Robin was utterly unsure of how he felt about that.

Surely he had known he was to do her bidding since she held his heart hostage, but this- It was something else entirely. Robin could not help but think back at his own sense of mad ownership over her when he had seen her with another. The flaring flame of madness touching his sanity and urging him to eliminate his rival.

Had she been touched by the same manner of mad possession?

Robin was absolutely perplexed fearing for not knowing the extent of this ownership she had over him, scar to mark him or not.

…

Robin had gone to sleep that night not knowing if he ever wanted to meet that infuriating woman's gaze ever again, lovely color added to them or not. Her manner was completely inconsistent and when at first he had found her ways rather amusing and very arousing, her constant mood shifts were starting to make him question his own sanity.

Robin could not help but think back about simpler times in his life, when it consisted in the bare necessities. It was solitary and utterly filled with darkness, the only thing consistent was the absolute certainty that when he closed his eyes at night, he would be haunted by nightmares about Marian.

Ever since he had been separated from his heart, the nightmares had ceased but completely, and his thoughts would seldom travel about the path of regret and hatred he had been so immersed into the past year, before he met _her_. The sorrow was one of the only visitors he got these past weeks, a hint of regret and grief about what had happened to his wife would surprise him from time to time.

Robin would have welcomed back the soul ripping heartache and remorse with open arms if they managed to erase all of the agonizing feelings the Queen managed to imprint on him.

Even though the scar she had given him was completely healed, Robin would at times feel it burn. This odd mark she had left on his left shoulder seemed to be somehow filled with magic of its own, for at times, Robin could swear it was as if he could feel the most varied amount of emotions sipping through it towards the hole where his heart had once been.

If Robin had thought the treatment she had given him prior to the whole engagement ball fiasco was icy and distant, the coolness of her utter indifference now cut even deeper. She summoned him scarcely, mainly to order him to organize search parties to look for that blasted girl she seemed obsessed with. However, she would never allow him to actually take part in any of the meticulously planned hunts he strategized himself, and _that_ infuriated him to no end. Robin was pretty sure she _knew_ that the hunt was something pleasurable to him, and she was making sure he got no joy out of it whatsoever.

A whole week went by and Robin saw very little of the Queen. He knew she kept to the solitude of her chambers, but in his wretched paranoia, Robin made inquiries with her chambermaids in order to make sure there was no auburn haired male paying unexpected visits.

The young women were shy and scared at first but gave him all the information he needed about who had been inside her chambers. As they stuttered what they knew – that the Queen was always alone in the confines of her chambers and that her father would seldom be there as well but no one else - , Robin pondered on why was it that he felt no inclination to bed any of those delicate creatures who worked in the castle? Some of them were pretty enough to make several men turn their heads, but Robin found himself utterly uninterested in their lot, even though it had been weeks since he had been inside the Queen's warm sex.

Deep inside, Robin was quite aware that none of those women would _ever_ live up to the amount of pleasure the Queen was able to deliver, there was no match for that headstrong, insane woman.

So Robin was basically fucked, left to his own devices in order to not go insane.

He did not expect this day to turn out unlike any of the others even though it was an unusually warm day for the season. The Queen had chosen to give him the orders for the week whilst she made her way to the stables. She did not bother to halt her steps whilst she spat her commands, would not even give him the decency of looking him in the eye.

Robin was past the point of taking any of her irritating attitudes seriously, after so many grey days, the Sun had finally chosen to make an appearance and even in his state, something as simple as that could still brighten up his mood. So Robin chose to simply trail beside her and listen to whatever she had to say.

He was not doing too much listening right at that moment, for even though her lips moved, he could not bring himself to register her words. There were far more enjoyable things he could do for she looked as alluring as she always did that day, and even if Robin was not allowed to touch her anymore, he could still admire her beauty. She was the fairest of all women after all, and Robin was only human.

Even with the warmth of the sun, she wore black leather boots as well as tight pants of the same material, he could see she wore a black vest but a blood red, velvet coat that reached her ankles covered most of it. Her hair was neat on one of those intricate and completely unnecessary updos and her face was heavily painted, she looked dangerous and deadly and Robin could not help but feel the urge to grab a fist full of her hair and fuck her until she came back to her senses-

"Are you even listening to me?" he heard her irritated voice ring and was brought back to the here and now.

"Of course, your majesty" he was not; he had no idea what she had just said.

"Do you think me a fool?" she stopped walking then and turned to finally face him, her brown eyes sparkled and Robin was still getting used to the new shimmer color gave her eyes.

Robin clicked his tongue, pretending to ponder upon her question before responding, "No, I do not think you a fool at all your majesty,-" she narrowed her eyes at him, seemly knowing there was more to his statement, Robin did not disappoint, "-but downright deranged? Yes, _absolutely_."

The Queen inhaled and he could actually physically feel her anger towards him build up as her beautiful eyes widened and locked on his blue ones intensively.

"Are you completely out of your mind?" she asked this time in an incredulous high-pitched tone.

"I might be getting there for certain, thanks to the exposure-" he gestured his hand towards her and he was pretty sure she groaned like an animal at that, "- but I do like to believe my sanity is not completely lost just yet-" he crossed his arms in defiance at the look she was giving him, "I'm afraid I cannot say the same regarding your own, your majesty."

"How _dare_ you speak to me in that manner?" she took two steps towards him never taking her eyes from his.

"Well, I'm a very daring man-" he took one small step towards her, nearly closing the space between them. Robin knew that what he was doing was completely insane, but he had not felt this alive in _weeks_. Her hatred, her anger, her frustration, her arousal, emanated from her person and the waves of sentiment hit him hard, igniting his already sharp tongue to continue, "And I'm not afraid of you, _oh_ almighty Queen."

Her response was low and controlled, "You should be-" her right hand rose from her side and Robin was pretty sure he was about to get hit by some pretty damaging magic but he would be damned if he moved a muscle in recoil from her.

So he stood his ground and waited for the blow, it had already been worth it, she had been furious and Robin was happy to draw anything from her that was not the usual indifference she had been freely giving him.

"YOUR MAJESTY!"

Both their heads snapped on the direction the sound had originated from so quickly that their noses bumped with one another. There was a wee amount of pain on his nose at the harsh contact, but it was erased from Robin's senses the moment he saw the Queen quickly bring her hand up to her sore one, groaning for a moment in pain.

Robin tried to suppress a smirk at the fact that she might have all the power in the world, but she was still human, much like him, she too felt pain. She gave him a look that plainly stated she was going to fry him alive were his smirk to widen an inch further, but their exchange was cut off by a young man on horseback – the one who had interrupted their friendly exchange – when he dismounted and came to kneel at the Queen's feet.

"Pardon me your majesty," his voice was much weaker now, he was clearly out of breath, looked as if he had been riding for some time without any rest.

"Rise!" she commanded and the man was quickly on his feet, "What is it?" she inquired not seeming to have a drop of patience in her.

"Your majesty, I came as soon as I could," he started, he placed his right hand over his chest, "Being that your highness was so generous last time, I felt it my duty to inform-"

"_Last time_?" Robin interrupted a flare of that irrational jealousy skimming the surface, the Queen was only able to glare at him and open her mouth before the young man continued.

"Aye, her majesty has been far too generous,-" the man had a sincere smile on his face as he spoke, "-gave me enough to buy a house in the village for my family and-"

"That does not interest me, much less _you_ outlaw-" she eyed Robin with disgust then turned back to the young soldier, "Please tell me you are not here to thank me, I have very little time for cordial empty words-"

"No, your majesty-" the young man bowed his head again, the colors of his attire were white, grey and silver, colors he recalled seeing on many knights and guards just a week ago, "I thought it fit to inform your highness that King George has imprisoned Snow White."

Time seemed to stand still as the words were delivered, the Queen's eyes grew impossibly large and Robin could swear he could feel her heart start to race from where he was standing.

"What?" she hissed, sounding very much like a famished snake if the animal was ever given the gift of speech.

"We caught her sneaking into the castle, I do not know why, your majesty, but she was there-" the man explained, "We took her down to the dungeons and locked her inside a cell under the King's orders but she managed to escape and-"

"So she escaped the castle?" the Queen was growing very impatient and Robin could see that a couple more words from her would result in the young man wetting his pants.

"No, we managed to catch her in the courtyard-" the man continued stuttering a little as he went on, "We took her back inside the castle and after a little while the whole guard received orders not to follow or harm her, that she had been pardoned by the King and was to walk away free." the man delivered that last piece of information with tangible fear in his voice.

"He did _what_?" the Queen finally advanced towards the young guard grabbing his throat with one hand, that manic look back in her eyes.

"I-" she was choking him but he managed to say, "-thought y-" she squeezed his throat harder and the man brought both his hands to her death grip, trying to remove it, his eyes were impossibly large and Robin was pretty sure the young informant was going to die for trying to help.

He then did something out of the ordinary; Robin did not know why, if it had been pity towards the young man – who had a family awaiting his return for supper – or for her, for ending her informant was completely unnecessary if not downright stupid.

So he reached out his hand and touched her left shoulder, squeezing it only a little bit. Even though there were barriers of velvet and leather, he could still feel a faint pang of electricity between them. He heard her release a small gasp but could not see her face – as he was right behind her. She freed the man's throat from her magical death grip immediately after, the young spy dropping to his knees whilst fighting to get air back into his system.

She did not move for a few moments as Robin's hand remained on her shoulder, she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly through her mouth, their tingling connection growing stronger by the second.

Suddenly she snapped, she turned around to face him so quickly, he though she had used magic, his hand flying from her shoulder. Her face betrayed full on rage and blood thirst, her eyes were a little reddened with a small trace of unshed tears inside.

"I did not give you permission to touch me" her tone was different; it was way beyond what he had been witness to just moments ago whilst he defied her. Then, he had been pushing her buttons and knew that even though she had gotten mad, other parts of her anatomy thoroughly enjoyed his sharp tongue. But now, her tone was very much like the one she used right before she shoved an arrow in his left shoulder, so Robin chose not to use a smart retort to her statement.

He stayed silent and kept his hands to himself as she studied him with her half crazed, brown orbs. Robin noted she clenched and unclenched her fists several times, probably creating half-moon marks on the insides of her hands, marks which Robin had once been rather content to carry on his back. She smirked at him stretching her fingers out and tilted her head to the side.

"You will get the unparalleled opportunity to see what happens to people who betray me, _thief_-" she took a few steps in his direction and came to be nose to nose with him once more, "-see if it serves you as a bit of a lesson."

At her last words, they were engulfed by a cloud of cold smoke and Robin felt the familiar sensation of having his feet levitating from the grassy ground for a few seconds before they hit hard cold stone.

When the smoke cleared, Robin found himself in the interior of a castle he could only guess belonged to King George. The atmosphere felt a lot warmer than the Queen's castle, but then again, she was acting like a frigid bitch so Robin's impressions might have had something to do with that.

The room they had landed in could only be the throne room for the obvious flamboyant piece of furniture had its place of glory above a few steps against the wall which Robin had landed facing.

Their arrival had been sudden and most probably completely unexpected judging the soldiers who stood guard about the room. They took one quick look at the Queen and quickly scattered off like kitchen mice, leaving the pair alone for a moment.

The Queen, however, was far too busy inspecting the room, taking leisurely steps whilst looking at the tall windows, ignoring Robin completely. To that, he had somehow gotten used to – even though her ignoring him disturbed Robin more than he liked to admit - so he took this opportunity to study her. She looked to be a _little_ bit less crazy now that she wasn't trying to squeeze the life out of people who delivered ill news, or at least was making a wonderful impression of being somewhat sane and civilized.

The morning Sun had also made an appearance in these parts of the Enchanted Forest. The rays that shone through the windows illuminated her in a new light, making her skin look even paler and her hair shine with a reddish glimmer Robin had never seen. Robin noted that it was rare the occasion in which he would see her in the Sun light.

She was a vision, she always was, but every day that passed, she seemed to acquire yet another alluring quality that sucked Robin into her world more and more regardless of how many wet, involuntary showers he got because of it.

His musings were interrupted by the heavy steps of an older man Robin could assume was the King given the pathetic way he walked as if he was taller than everyone else inside that room. He was indeed tall, looked to be about 60 years of age, head almost completely deprived of hair on the top, some strands of silvery white still resisted on the sides. His face was false, Robin could see it right away, that look noble people had when they regarded each other as if they gave two shits about the other, but deep down they would happily sip wine whilst watching the other's execution.

_People like that made Robin sick_

He was surprised to realize that the Queen standing beside him did not act in that way; instead, she was the executioner herself. Robin did not feel a drop of compassion for this King George; even though he was quite aware of the extent of the damage that woman could create with a flicker of her hand, he was pretty sure the man deserved it.

"What an unexpected surprise, your majesty" he said in a cordial but plainly false tone as he approached her and placed a hand above his heart, bowing his head just a little.

"Is it _really_ unexpected?" she teased, she did like playing with her prey before she destroyed them.

"Why, yes-" the King chuckled a little, "Did you want to discuss the trading deals that-"

"I hope you do not take me for a fool George because those who have made that mistake regret it dearly" her voice was loud and commanding, a true monarch.

The King's eyes betrayed that he was nervous about the Queen's visit, for he knew damn well what she was there for, "_Leave_" he commanded to the guards who had followed behind him to reassume their posts.

They did not need to be told twice and left. The King's serious gaze turned to Robin who had come to stand a few feet away from the pair, leaning against one of the walls, arms crossed as well as ankles, he watched the pair, "I said _leave_" he repeated and Robin felt his blood rush faster through his veins.

He was unable to deliver the colorful selection of words he had in mind for the Queen's voice rang annoyed and commanding, "You do not get to order my own around, _George_"

Robin had to suppress his laugh for the King tightened his jaw and gave him one distasteful look before he turned his gaze back towards the Queen.

"So, what is it you want?" he asked plain and simple, all manner of gallantry seemed to have been dropped.

"I think you know _exactly_ what I want," she took a few feline steps towards the King but the space between them remained respectful, "Even further, I think you had what I want right _here_-" she pointed down at the floor, "-in this very room."

"I don't know what you are talking about"

"Do not play coy with me George;" her voice rose a little, and Robin could only guess she was a few more remarks away from setting something of the King's on fire, "-you know I can kill you in a blink of an eye and that I have very little regard for consequences." This was delivered in a softer tone, but the softness only meant that she was getting more and more resolute in taking this negotiation to a level this King could not match, "Do not think for a _minute_ that I won't kill you if I leave unhappy." The Queen's voice was low and dangerous, she prowled around the King – who remained unmoving throughout her threat – and after a few moments continued, "What was Snow White doing here? Why did she sneak into _your_ castle of all places? Were you striking an alliance with her behind my back?"

There was a moment of dead silence and Robin had to wonder if the King was going to break and tell the truth. The air was thick with anticipation and the silence almost intolerable, when the King finally chose to speak, Robin realized he had been holding his breath, "Because she's in love."

A hard pang of anguish and hate struck Robin's chest like an arrow, he had no idea of where it had come from, he had been quite amused watching the King break under the psychological torture the Queen was putting him through – Robin always did like to see royals suffer. The feelings were strong and mingled with his own in a strange way, he looked ahead to see the Queen standing directly in front of King George, staring daggers at him.

"What?" it was a mere whisper but a dangerous one.

"What can I say?" the King started with a proud air about him, probably pleased with himself for having been able to make the Queen unsteady, "My James can be quite the charmer-" he smiled then a yellow, yellow smile, "Of course you know _that_ from experience-"

_Wait- what?_ Experience? Was that sack of bones implying that-?

"_Your_ James?" the Queen laughed it off, "You know as well as I that the young man you sold out to Midas is _not_ James."

This new piece of information seemed to throw the man out of his game again, but he had apparently given up on trying to deceive the Queen, "You _know_? How?" he whispered in disbelief.

"I think we both know _how_ I know, George," she scrunched her face a little and continued, "That twin you procured can hardly seduce a duck-"

_Twin?_ Did she mean the man whose engagement party she had attended just a week prior? The man Robin had spoken to, that _he_ was not the actual Prince? And that _she_ had made an extended acquaintance with the actual one? As the wheels turned inside Robin's head, he got to the infuriating conclusion that the list of former lovers the Queen possessed only grew by the day. His jealousy was starting to build up again at the thought of her with another, with that blonde, stupid eyed-

"Well, your former step daughter is not as sharp as you-" King George continued, "She fell for Ja-" he stopped midway through and corrected himself, "-for _him_." There was a moment of silence and he continued, "I know for a fact she's quite taken with him, but _he_ is not interested in runway princesses." George took a couple more steps towards the Queen, "He did disclose to me he had amused himself with her during a lonely night in one of his journeys. But just like his brother, he is quite adamant in doing what is best for his kingdom, and that is marrying Princess Abigail."

He then turned his back towards the Queen taking a few steps away from her whilst continuing to narrate his tale, "He attended to Snow White himself yesterday, as I was away, and sent her away after he was done-" he pivoted around to face the Queen again who simply stood her ground, her face did not betray a single emotion, "If it is of any solace to you, he tells me she was heartbroken."

Before she could reply, Robin found his lips were moving and his voice sounding out clear for the very first time since they had arrived, "You're lying."

Now all the pieces were coming together, the young husband to be he had met at the ball, to whom he had given words of advice, was this Prince, _twin_, Snow White had apparently fallen for – according to the King. And from what Robin could recall from that fateful day at the golden palace, the Prince had been quite taken with her as well-

"How dare you defy me in my own castle?" King George's voice was loud and irritated as he addressed Robin.

"Well, I am certainly not afraid of _you_,-" he shrugged his shoulders dismissively, "-so why not call out at your ridiculous lies?" he crossed his arms.

King George was clearly not pleased with Robin's remarks and managed to take one step in his direction before the Queen's voice halted his next step, "_What_ was he lying about?" at her last word her head snapped to Robin's direction, she had an expectant look on and an arched brow.

"The Prince-" Robin started, enjoying thoroughly the way the King's face scrunched in distaste, "He is crazy about her, about Snow White, even considered abandoning his precious _royal_ engagement in order to be with her,"

"And you know this how-?" the Queen inquired, her voice a little too sweet for his taste.

"He told me," he shrugged the question off but at the sound of the Queen sharp intake of breath, he continued, "We crossed paths in the gardens of King Midas' palace before-"

She cut him off almost immediately, "You do not need to get into _that_," her eyes were dangerous, "What did he tell you?"

Robin could not suppress a small smirk but obliged, "He told me there was a mysterious young woman he had met he could not get out of his mind. He questioned whether he should or not pursue her," Robin started to walk towards the pair and finished his statement looking the King right in the eye, he leaned closer and they were almost nose to nose, "-and I advised him to drop everything and find her."

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" King George threw himself onto Robin, grabbing him by the lapels of his jacket in fury. The older man's eyes were wide with hate, "I WILL KILL YOU!" he shook Robin by his grip on the artifact of clothing but his mistreating only tickled Robin, who found the King's outburst quite hilarious.

"I would very much like to see you try," Robin chuckled back not fighting the man's grip on him, it was clearly not worth it and much more amusing to watch as the old monarch tried to harm him.

"And they call me hot headed," Robin heard the Queen mutter.

An abnormal force got ahold of the gripping hands on Robin's jacket and they were removed in the most unnatural of movements. The back of the Queen's hand hit Robin across the chest so he would make way for her to advance towards the old King, she had a bright mad sparkle in her eye whilst she spoke, "If anybody is going to kill him, that person is going to be me-"

Given their history, that statement sounded almost like she cared for him.

"Do not think for a second that you won't suffer the consequences for letting that brat go as well as having the _nerve_ to lie to my face" she spat at the King, her boots had no heels which made her a little shorter than the other monarch, but nevertheless she looked like a titan.

"You're going to kill me like you do your disobeying servants?" the King mocked her, but Robin could sense a trace of fear in his voice.

"Oh no, death is too easy," she smiled, "I want to see your kingdom crumble down and I want you to be witness to it. Little by little it will fall apart," her words were like poison, "Your downfall has already started for you are far too desperate to marry off-" she stopped for a beat, "what's his name?" she tapped her manicured finger on her chin twice, "David, to marry your little puppet son _David_ off to that frigid blonde."

The King's jaw was stiff and his fists were clenched, "I'm going to start small," she continued, "By cutting off all of our tradings-" his eyes widened in horror at her statement, "-let's see who still stands after that." she spat at him seemly enjoying the way she was making the man shrink.

She gave the King a dazzling smile that Robin had learned to fear and before the other monarch was able to retort Robin found himself surrounded by cool smoke once more.

Instead of landing far away from her - as Robin expected he would - when the smoke cleared out, she was standing toe to toe with him, their bodies had not been this close for the longest time, her eyes were vibrant, brown and almost hypnotizing whilst they drank him in.

For a long moment none of them spoke but simply stood their ground in a silent battle Robin was not quite sure how he gotten himself into this time.

She finally broke the silence, "How crazy is he about Snow?" her voice was slightly raspy.

Robin took a beat to reply, "Raving mad," his voice was a little low, for some odd reason this moment felt strangely intimate, "-he apparently shares some sort of connection with her" for a moment Robin had to wonder if he spoke of the Prince's feelings or his own.

"What kind of connection?" she tilted her head to the side, curious, there she showcased yet another brand of expressions, it was not the usual murderous curiosity but almost as if she was, _hurt_ by what he was saying. It was most certainly an indignant feeling; he could sense it practically radiate from her.

_Very much like the one I share with you,_ something inside told him, but he could never voice _that_, he had no idea of how she would react if he were to voice an ounce of his complicated feelings towards her.

"He did not go into detail about it-" Robin lied, and the Queen frowned a little, she somewhat seemed to pick up he was leaving something unsaid, "I can only image it's something quite overwhelming for him to consider dropping everything for-"

Robin was not able to finish his sentence because the Queen grabbed his jaw with one hand and without a hint of care or gracefulness crashed her lips against his in a marring kiss. For half a second, Robin was taken aback by her actions, it had been a good while since he had last kissed her like that, but Robin's muscle memory was intact and when that half second was done, he responded to the kiss with just as much eagerness.

He grunted against her mouth and that undeniable electricity took over his senses, it ignited him to respond to her nearing desperate kisses with just as much force, teeth clattering, tongues everywhere, sloppiness reigned and it was _perfection_.

He bit her lower lip whilst his hands worked on their own, sliding down her back until they reached her divine behind – which was unfortunately covered with far too much fabric. Nevertheless, he pulled her with force to him whilst their tongues still danced – more like fought - together, making their bodies crash and knocking the air out of her.

The Queen broke the kiss with a slight gasp – her hand still very much holding on to his jaw with a death grip – her eyes were vibrant and hungry, by the Gods, he would be damned if he ever admitted it, but Robin had missed that look.

Her nails dug in his flesh and she dragged them down his neck until she reached the base, she did not squeeze though, but rather dug her nails there harder, taking a sharp breath between gritted teeth whilst her eyes travelled from where her hand rested up to meet his eyes once more.

Robin looked down at her lips and her carefully applied lip coloring was smeared about her lips and most probably his as well. She made an animalistic sound that resonated from the inside of her throat and Robin only noticed he still had two handfuls of arse in his grip when she ground herself against him, drawing an involuntary groan from him.

Upon feeling his excitement down below over their heated exchange, she arched a perfect brow and asked, "Already?"

Robin did not truly know if he was capable of speech at that exact moment, so he chose to smirk back at her in reply, he did feel smug about being able to knock the air out of her.

He did not know if her response was bad or not for she did give him a killer smile that could either mean that she would devour him in the best of ways or just kill him. She then quite simply pushed him back with the hand gripping his jaw, away from the warmth of her curves. Robin was quite unwilling to let that delicious behind go, but he much more appreciated his head still attached to his body, plus he would _never_ force her, no matter how frustrated he was, he could never do that, not after what had happened to Ma-

"I must say, you impressed me today thief," she told him, her voice slightly hoarse, "One could mistake what you did for loyalty," she took a few more steps back until her behind – which his hands missed thoroughly – met the surface of a wooden polished table.

It was only then that Robin took notice of where they were exactly, shelves filled the walls almost completely, and books occupied said shelves almost entirely. This was one of her castle's libraries, the West wing one if he was not mistaken, not the greatest in size but one she had always favored. The heavy velvet curtains blocked most of the sunlight from penetrating the room, but still thin strands of sunlight did manage to illuminate it enough so Robin could see her.

As she had her back to the only ceiling high window, the sunlight coming from behind her gave her yet another shine, and damn it, Robin was fucked when it came to this woman. Why was she shinning all of the damn time?

Upon his lack of response, the Queen narrowed her eyes at him – even with a shadow about her, he could see her chocolate orbs eye him with suspicion.

Robin took a leap of faith and threw, "A simple thank you would suffice" for all the fucks in the world if she did not kill him now-

Instead the Queen threw her head back – bracing her weight in both palms on the wooden surface of the table – and laughed her delicious laugh and even in the danger of all this situation – she was laughing far too much for his liking, her amusement normally came at the cost of decapitated heads – Robin could not help but grin himself.

When her laughter subsided, she regarded him amused and a grin tugging on her lips, she hummed and stated, "Since I'm in a terribly good mood today-"

Robin made a face that spoke of pure confusion, 'good mood' was not what could be used to describe the last couple of hours, he then grinned and could not resist but tease her, "You flatter me your majesty, it's an honor to know I can rouse your spirits with only my mouth-"

Another one of her laughs interrupted his speech whilst she replied, "Spare me of your cockiness-"

Now it was Robin's turn to interrupt her whilst he walked towards her with leisurely steps, "I can recall many an occasion when you did not mind my _cock_-" Robin paused and grinned when her mouth opened slightly, "-iness."

He was then standing precisely in front of her, their knees almost brushing against each other. She was half sitting on the table and darted her eyes down to the bulge in his pants still with her mouth slightly agape.

One of her hands moved and Robin felt one delicate finger tracing its way up his thigh, she closed her mouth in order to hum whilst Robin stood in front of her quite unsure of what was to happen next.

When her finger neared his crotch she slurred, "You mean-" she stood quickly from her half sitting position whilst palming him with all the hand she had and squeezing for good measure, Robin's grunt was inevitable, "-this cock?" she massaged him – fucking minx – making it literally impossible for Robin to reply.

She sighed and cracked a smile at his helplessness, "I don't really mind your cock outlaw-" her mouth was now close to his, she was practically speaking inside his, "-I rather enjoy it." She gave him one extra hard squeeze and Robin succumbed to groaning again, "It's what comes out of your mouth that annoys me."

To his utter disappointment, the Queen removed her hand from his aching erection and sat back at the table, regarding him, probably wondering when it was that he was going to crack under her ministrations.

Robin was capable of coherent thought enough to remember what they had been talking about in the first place, he smirked once more and said, "You really can't say thank you-"

She arched a brow and regarded him for a beat before uttering, "I'll say 'thank you' to you if you are ever able to capture Snow White for me."

"Fine-" Robin met her challenge head first, "-it's a deal then?"

"What?" her face scrunched a little whilst she asked somewhat confused.

"Do we have a deal?" he explained himself, suddenly rather excited about the prospect of winning this bet, "If I capture Snow White for you, you will say thank you, with all words and letters?"

She squinted her eyes a little, but this time not in suspicion but in slight amusement and disbelief, she huffed a breath and finally replied, "Deal-" her hand rose again, but instead of grabbing his aching cock through his trousers, she took his hand and they actually shook on it as if they were normal human beings.

"Now-" she continued to speak and pulled hard on his hand, strongly enough to make him half fall on her, their bodies again pressed deliciously to one another, "Shut the fuck up and do something useful with that mouth of yours-"

His lips drowned her last words. But the Queen did not seem to mind the interruption in the least, quite the contrary, her fingers entwined in his hair and pulling him closer to her, deepening their nearing to feral kiss.

To Robin's utter delight, she opened her legs so he could fit in between them, all too soon, he made himself at home placing his hands on her hips and moved his aching erection against her leather-clad privates. Although the feel of her back in his arms was exquisite, all of the layers separating them were beginning to get on Robin's last nerve.

Robin wore his usual garb of pants, shirt and a leather vest, but the Queen always insisted upon putting on the most complicated and frustrating artifacts of clothing he had ever come across. As their kiss continued on the heated path, Robin's hands started to travel north to undo the buttons of her heavy, velvet cloak.

She beat him to it, she pulled at his hair and broke the kiss with a loud, almost comical pop. His hands had reached the sides of her middle and he watched perplexed as she blew what could only be magic in his direction. Robin did not move whilst he felt the magic hit him, and yet, to his utter surprise, the spell did not harm him. He could not say the same for the laces that held his leather vest together as a strange fire burned them down into nothing. Robin looked down at her handy work and then quickly up at her to find her smirking, after a beat her hands were on his vest, relieving him of the garb with as much lack of care as she could muster.

No sooner had his vest hit the floor, her hands were on the fastenings on his trousers, her fingers brushing against his solid erection in the most tantalizing way. Seeing that apparently the magic she was using at the moment was to only benefit them both, Robin attacked her neck, having missed the softness of her skin against his lips. He sucked on her pulse point and could sense that she was a little breathless but nevertheless absolutely focused on her task of unfastening his trousers.

When Robin felt her pull down his trousers and underthings, the feeling was quickly followed by a cold sensation Robin found most odd. Most reluctantly, he pulled from her neck to inspect his nether parts and found she had _also_ burned down his pants and everything that went with them, as he stood there naked from the waist down, his shirt still covered the evidence of his eagerness to be inside her.

He looked back up to meet her eyes and they were dark, darker than usual, a dark coffee tone of brown he was seeing for the first time and liked _immensely_. It almost nearly hypnotized him, he could not look away nor could he move. When the nails from both her hands made contact with the patch of skin of his thighs, Robin forgot how to breathe. She drew them up slowly, her lips red and a little swollen hung faintly parted, as she scraped her nails up until they were painfully close to his balls. She stopped there, in that _torturous_ spot, and ever so delicately brought one set of nails to scrape at his balls most lightly.

That alone drew an uneven breath from Robin and he then noticed he had been biting his lower lip for some time now. He released his lip and another shuddered breath when both her full palms started making their way up his torso. The journey her hands took under his shirt was slow, as if she was feeling his body for the very first time, the electric current between them was utterly overwhelming and yet, Robin could not bring himself to shut his eyes in order to bask in the sensation, her own held him captive and he was her willing prisoner.

When her hands reached his collarbone her nails dug in his flesh again but this time all the lightness of her touch had been dropped and there was a strange, frigid feel about it now. Robin soon discovered she had a magical solution for the removal of every single artifact of clothing he wore. As her nails scraped down his torso, she drew in a breath between gritted teeth whilst he groaned, Robin was in complete shock to notice that tearing marks imitating her scrapping nails started to appear on his shirt. When she reached the very end of his shirt, it was in shreds – but still hanging off his shoulders – and his entire body covered with gooseflesh.

Her hands shot to the battered remains of his shirt and Robin's mouth seemed to want to tease her until she snapped and killed him – that was the only logic explanation for his next remark.

"Missed me all _that_ much?"

Her hands dropped from his shirt immediately as her heated dark eyes squinted to regard him.

Fucking hell his 'smart' tongue was going to lead him to an early grave instead of leading him in between her thighs.

Right then, from the way she was looking at him, he was going to, at best, get a very cold, involuntary shower in the river.

"You _must_ have some sort of sick death wish," her voice sounded indignant instead of the anger he was expecting.

"Or maybe-" fuck, she was going to fry him alive, "-I just enjoy pushing your buttons," he arched his eyebrow giving her a confident look.

The Queen huffed out a breath and clicked her tongue whilst looking down at his almost nakedness, being covered only by a ripped shirt. She was standing and there was a wee distance between their bodies. When her eyes returned to his her hand shot for his crotch again but this time, her fingers closed around his _bare_ erection and the feel of it was like heaven and hell mixed together. She pumped him twice looking him square in the eye in defiance, and Robin could not help but groan in response, she then closed the distance between them and brought her lips to the shell of his ear.

"And look who's pushing _your _buttons now," she slurred and pumped him again.

Robin took in a sharp intake of breath but managed enough coherent thought to place his hands back on her waist and take a few steps in order to trap her once more between the table and himself. She had a devious smile on her face and her hand was still very much at work south.

"When the buttons are exposed, it's rather easy to-" she squeezed him hard and Robin had to stop to take a breath before he continued, "-_push them_" he managed in between gritted teeth.

"What can I say?" she shrugged faking innocence he knew too well she did not possess, "Maybe I like pushing _your_ buttons too," and with that she quickly let go of his erection, sitting on the table and lifting both her legs to cage him in between them. She leaned slightly back but her legs pulled him towards her, Robin placed one hand on a leather-clad thigh, resenting the fabric.

"You're not really playing fair" he pointed out squeezing her meaty thigh as best as leather allowed him to.

"I never play fair," she was leaning back and putting more and more distance between their faces. Robin found himself leaning forward in order not lose that maddening closeness that felt better than any drug.

He spotted a silvery shine out of the corner of his eye and his plan was made up, she was going to get as good or bad as she gave.

"Well-" he was half hovering over her and reached out for the pointy silvery object to his right, locking his gaze on hers in order for her not to see what his other hand was reaching out to, "- we will see about that"

With his last statement, Robin maneuvered so swiftly the Queen only had time to gasp.

With the far-too-sharp letter opener in his grasp, Robin leaned back a little and slashed the sharp end in one swift move from her navel to her breast.

He felt a sharp, strong pang in his chest and an alien dread invaded his senses, mingling with his actual feelings. It was gone after a beat and Robin spun the knife in his hand when the job was done, and threw it carelessly behind his shoulder, not really caring where it landed.

When Robin's eyes focused back on the Queen, he found her face had gotten dead pale, her eyes impossibly large, her mouth hanging open, and her legs that had been around him completely limp.

She had become somehow paralyzed, she did not move and Robin had a feeling she was not breathing. So it was rather comical when her velvet riding coat fell apart due to a precise, straight and clean cut that had been created by the now discarded letter opener.

He had cut precisely what he wanted, that ridiculous riding cloak that had been hiding the fact that she only wore a small black leather vest beneath it and nothing else. Her delicious breasts were almost popping out of the 'v' neck cleavage but at that moment they did not look very attractive for they did not rise or fall due to breathing, which meant the Queen was doing nothing of that kind.

His expression morphed from smug to confused but before he could ponder upon the subject – only a few seconds had passed and yet it felt like hours since he was staring at her haunted expression –one of her hands rose, she was pointing a finger at him.

"You-" her voice was completely off, her eyes had been unblinking until this point for now she blinked several times looking at him as if he had grown a second head, "You could have-" her pointing hand dropped but her penetrating gaze didn't as she stared him down in disbelief.

It was then that it hit him, he had been so excited about the prospect of ruining her clothes just as she had his, that he did not think for a minute that slashing a pointy object in front of her might give her the impression that he was actually going to stab her.

"You didn't-" her voice sounded again, half whispered, still in disbelief and Robin could not help be overtaken by an odd sentiment for the woman before him, who, even in a moment as intimate as this, still had to have her guard up.

The color had returned to her features and she was breathing again, the darkness in her eyes had a new shimmer, it looked strange, he had never seen the likes of it reflected in her brown orbs.

"I-" Robin tried, but what could he possibly say?

Before he got the chance to utter another word, she was on her feet and grabbing two fistfuls of what had remained of his shirt. Robin was then pivoted by her grip so his sorry backside hit the table with a loud thud and she unceremoniously pushed at his chest with both her palms, silently commanding him to sit his naked arse on the table.

Robin was beyond confused but complied, her eyes now sparkled with lust and something else, "What on-?" he started to ask but as interrupted by her loud command.

"Oh shut up-" he could trace that usual, horny annoyance in her tone, "-before I regret this,"

And with that last statement, the Queen did one of the most unroyal things he had ever seen her do. With as much grace as she could muster, which was a lot but still, she managed to climb on the table and place each of her knees on his side, straddling his waist.

He had to give it to her; she was one resilient bitch when it came to getting what she wanted, even if he had apparently scared her half to death with his letter opener juggling, she still seemed to be pretty much game for, well, anything.

Luckily for her, _so was he_.

He took no time after she had settled on his lap to yank her torn coat off her shoulders, she slid the garb off her arms with exasperated and irritated movements, it was too heavy, too tight, like everything she wore.

She was such a vision, she knocked the air out of his chest, without thinking straight his hand went for her still pinned up hair and pulled, making her yelp in surprise but give a throaty moan when his lips attacked her collarbone, covering every single patch of uncovered skin in his reach with sucking kisses, love bites and actual bites.

The very tip of Robin's tongue traced in between the valley of her breasts and when he could finally taste leather instead of salty, smooth skin, Robin let go of her hair and closed his mouth upon the first button securing her vest to her. Instead of undoing it, Robin was way past the point of undressing the conventional way, he pulled at it and the small leather covered artifact popped out of its seams and ended up inside his mouth. Robin quickly turned his head to the side and spat it out. He looked up to find a rather pleased looking Queen, her hair was a little unraveled – his doing - and she had the most devious expression on her face. She tangled her fingers about his hair, pulling it a little, her eyes shone.

"Go on" her voice was throaty but carried a smile.

Smirking back at her, Robin went to work in yanking off button by button with his eyes fixed on her as her nails scraped his head and she moved her hips teasingly against his. When all of the buttons had found their way to the library's floor, she let go of his hair, shrugged the damned thing off and no soon had it joined its torn fastenings, Robin's mouth was closing about something far more delectable than a button.

He sucked her nipple as if his life depended on it, whilst his other hand feasted upon the other breast, his other arm encircled her waist in order to pull her closer, her hands were back fisting in his hair, guiding him along. She felt soft and the buzz that emanated from her was quite simply heavenly, plus the noises she was fabricating at the moment were quite enticing. Robin swirled his tongue about her well sucked nipple before he moved to the other and used his other hand to pinch the abandoned one, making her give a small cry of pleasure and start to rock her concealed sex against him in more intensively.

But as soon as he started the same pattern of ministrations he had given the first nipple to the second one, the Queen whined out a cry and pulled at his hair with enough force to make his lips leave her nipple with one pop.

She pulled harder in order to make him look up at her, her eyes were on fire, the brown came to possess a beautiful crimson tone as she slurred, "Enough teasing-"

She started leaning forward to which Robin could only reply by leaning backwards until his entire back was rested upon the wooden surface of the table – would the old artifact be in one piece when they were done? - whilst she hovered over him, both hands beside his head, knees still trapping both his legs in between them.

She did not lower her body to his straight away, instead she tossed the remains of his shirt to the side so his chest was exposed to her and raked her eyes over him. She licked his nipple once, which brought an insane shiver up his spine, and continued to trail her tongue up, past his collarbone, up to his shoulder. She traced the light pink scar she had given him with the tip of her tongue and it scorched Robin's insides in a wonderful, maddening manner. She chuckled against his skin when he moaned openly when she bit down the scar. Her lips continued their journey up, finding rest on his neck, she sucked on a particular spot he faintly remembered she had favored in leaving marks on. Robin groaned under her teasing, soft mouth, which was the only part of her entire body which was on him at the moment, his erection being all too ignored by her.

"I thought you said enough teasing," he managed to find his voice to protest.

Her face lifted from his neck and her lips were practically on his when she slurred, "Enough teasing _me_,"

Robin could not help it, he captured her lips with his as soon as the words left her mouth. She moaned against his lips and her knees finally gave way making her body meet his, she chose to stop bracing her weight on her hands whilst it was all on him, but Robin was not complaining. His hands shot to her arse and he squeezed her leather clad behind and pulled her closer to him, trying to relieve the ache of his erection.

She moaned something that sounded far too much like 'Robin' for anybody to deny and having his name slip from her lips like that ignited something inside him. Before he knew it, one of Robin's hands left her behind but came back in contact with it in the form of a slap he then realized he had been waiting to give her ever since they met.

She released a surprised but delighted moan. The Queen broke the kiss to look at him as if she could eat him alive, she bit her lower lip and Robin could not resist.

"Like that your majesty?"

She freed her lower lip and licked his whilst saying, "Yes" prolonging the 's' at the end.

Suddenly his hand was finally on bare skin, he could feel the wetness in between her thighs moistening his nether parts and Robin could not resist but give her another slap. This time the sound of flesh meeting flesh reverberated about the book cluttered room along with the sharp intake of breath she took in between her gritted teeth.

His hand stung a little, maybe he had been carried away, but the Queen did not seem to mind his exceeded enthusiasm as one of her hands snaked down and found his erection, her face having found rest on his neck once more, where she nibbled teasingly. When she had him in her grasp, she ground herself against him once more before she started to lead his aching head inside her moist, welcoming cunt.

_Fuck_, he had missed her. Was she crazy, mercurial and violent? Most certainly, but Robin realized with an internal chuckle that so was he. Plus, being inside her felt strangely like home, as if something was _right_ in his world, he could not wait another second to be balls deep inside her and fuck her senseless again and again. Nevertheless, he let her lead the dance as she sunk herself unto him slowly; her eyes were closed, as the act created a small but buzzing friction he _knew_ she must feel as well. She was halfway there when a female voice sounded from behind them, making her eyes shoot open and her movements of her hips halt completely.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important,"

…

**Penny for your thoughts!**


	16. The Dragon Visits

**I have wonderful friends without which this chapter wouldn't be nearly as cool! Thank you so much Zoe and Çağıl for giving me the hard truth always, and for Bea for her wonderful beta-ing!**

…

She wanted him gone, out of her sight before the idea of simply snapping his neck overtook the little that was left of her reason.

His eyes were still screwed shut, his face twisted with pain when Regina summoned her magic so she could send him as far away from her as possible. A strike of out of character and place pity hit her when her eyes examined how deeply she had sunk the arrow, and Regina decided to send him to solid ground instead of the usual watery one, back to his chambers so he could lick his wounds and think twice before he acted in such a ridiculous manner ever again..

A cloud of purple smoke swallowed the outlaw's body and the next moment, he was gone.

Regina felt as if she was taking her first breath since he shot the arrow. Regina simply stood there, eyes fixed ahead but not looking at anything in particular as all the emotions ignited by his presence faded away reminding her of the absence of her heart. She felt oddly dizzy and slightly drained; maybe due to the excessive amount of loathing she had just felt, which only made her feel even more uneasy, because she should not have felt anything at all.

Jamie's wince broke the odd haze and Regina spun on her heel to find her former lover examining his pierced hand and cursing in his Gaelic tongue. Both her eyebrows shot up at the sight and without thinking, Regina waved her hand and the next moment, there was no wound, only traces of his blood.

Jamie looked up and met her eyes uttering a sincere, "Thank ye Regina" the 'R' of her name rolled more than necessary because of his accent.

She huffed in response and looked at the burly, young man, examining him from head to toe, remembering of her original plan. Even though Jamie had never looked better, and the idea of negotiating in the midst of golden, linen bed-sheets with him was quite enticing, - her heart being too far away for her to hear it screaming that she should not do it - Regina felt tired and downright lazy to go through with it.

Jamie regarded Regina for a beat; he had stored his dagger back in his belt and now, with the absence of the stinging pain on his palm, he looked much less nervous. He moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue and let out an exhale of air before asking, "Who was _that_?"

Regina replied without even thinking, "Captain of my personal guard," her voice was devoid of any emotion.

"Quite adamant in protecting yer honor," he joked waving his now healed hand.

"Quite adamant in annoying the shit out of me," Regina confessed, rather tired of wearing her royal mask.

Jamie liberated a small laugh and looked at his feet before adding, "If my memory does not fail me," he pressed his lips together trying to subside a smile and continued, "Ye had always managed to come up with mysterious disappearances for those who 'annoyed' ye."

Regardless of her prior enraged disposition, Regina could not help but crack a malicious grin at the memory.

For having a heated affair, right under her husband's nose, inside his very castle, with his daughter's fiancé, had been rather trying when it came to keeping the whole thing a secret. They had gotten caught several times, and in those times – since she had not yet yielded the memory spell that had saved both their sorry asses when Leopold caught them – she had killed whoever had been unfortunate enough to catch them during the act. Snapped their necks, thrown them out of the window and sometimes even practiced her heart crushing abilities. They had been mainly guards and the occasional chambermaid, nobody she cared about, for Regina did not care about anyone- 

"Hun?" Jamie was looking at her expectantly, and Regina realized she had not heard a word of what he had just said, too lost in the memory of different times when a chance at freedom seemed to be a distant dream.

"What?" she asked frowning a little.

"Why don't ye get rid of him then?" he asked simply, Regina remembered how most conversation had always flown easily between the two of them.

"I just did," Regina replied feeling a strange pang inside her chest, knowing that that had not been what he had asked, her definition of 'getting rid of' not being as final as his.

Jamie squinted and looked right at her for a moment, "Ye didn't kill that man just now," he arched a brow and continued, "Ye always got a crazy shine to yer eyes after ye killed someone,"

"What?" Regina asked rather incredulous at his boldness.

"Yer eyes," he repeated himself, "They would get that hint of madness, they grew large and dark, I remember it quite well." He looked away from her a little and up a at the sky whilst he paused and then continued, bringing his gaze back to her, "I would try not to speak to ye during the rest of the day fearing ye'd just snap me neck for upsetting ye further." He recollected as if the thought of the marring memory affected him as much as a picnic in the woods.

Regina huffed and felt slightly bared. She did not enjoy the feeling at all, she had forgotten how she had let Jamie into her life all those years ago and was genuinely surprised to find he could read her so well. She did not like having people see her true self, she felt vulnerable and young and utterly incapable of doing anything.

She needed to get out of this situation and leave his presence at once, lock herself in the solitude of her bedchambers and shut out all those stormy feelings she was being bombarded with and find a damn way to catch Snow-

_Oh_

She needed his help. The last turn of events had made her completely forget why it was that she was letting this young man palm her breasts in the first place. That ship had sailed, she was not sleeping with him, the mood was completely broken and the very idea of shedding her clothes to a man who could already read her so well whilst fully clothed was downright terrifying.

_Don't be weak Regina_, the heartless Queen reprimanded her. 

_You know you can trust him_, the young woman with braided hair told her.

_Just leave him there and go find the thief Regina, it's been WEEKS_! that depraved half-dressed Queen whined.

_He will help you dearie_, the impish voice whispered in her ear, _for a price_

"What will it take?" She asked bluntly as if the man was aware of the mental battle going on inside her head.

"Pardon?" He asked crooking his head slightly to the side.

"What do you want in exchange for aiding me in finding Snow?" She asked impatiently.

"Oh," his eyes brows shot up, "I was actually wondering if ye were going to ask that-"

"Why?" Regina's eyes squinted in suspicion.

"Because she went to my uncle's estate and asked for shelter." Jamie explained matter-of-factly and Regina knew she was supposed to feel agitated because of the information being disclosed, and yet, she felt nearly nothing, "He offered his help to her but sent word to me that she was hiding there." Regina inhaled, feeling small victory on the pit of her stomach, "In the letter, he also advised me to keep me distance from ye, to break our dealings."

"Oh?" Regina had to ask, "And why was that?" although she already knew the answer to that.

"Well," he started again looking at his boots before meeting her gaze once more, "-the princess revealed to him how the Queen had sent an assassin archer to _kill_ her-" he lowered his chin a little, still looking at her, "-and how the Queen had spread malicious lies about her, calling her a traitor, murderer and criminal, forcing her to run away from her own kingdom."

Regina felt a strange lump on her throat and asked with an air of defiance even though her voice came out a tad croaky, "Did you believe her?"

Jamie responded right away, "Yes, of course I did, it surely does sound like something ye would do, at least to her."

Regina felt a hint of rage try to surface, "And I assume your uncle is sheltering her still?" She uttered with despise, not believing for a second that she had ever let that worm touch her, the betrayal cutting in deeper than she had expected.

To Regina's utter surprise, he cracked a smile and replied, "No, actually, when his letter reached me I sent word to him immediately, instructing that he should keep her there until I arrived. I explained that I knew Snow White was a treacherous thing, and that he should not believe a word she said, for she was the one who had killed the King, in order to take over his throne."

Jamie winked at her and Regina could not hold back a tiny grin that tugged in the corner of her mouth. He drew in a big breathe before continuing, his smug expression falling a little, "Unfortunately secrecy is not my uncle's strongest suit, and word got out that I was on me way, and since it is no secret that I have a strong _business_ association with ye, she fled."

Regina listened to his tale and while she thanked her lucky stars that someone of political power had chosen to side with her, she cursed at the girl's luck. For such a spoiled brat, she was managing to slip like seaweed.

Upon Regina's lack of response he continued, "I've set the warning to all me family's land to seize her and bring her to me alone if anyone ever came upon her," he inhaled deeply, "but I guess that brat does have more tricks up her sleeve than I had expected, she managed to cross the border that very day, so I was told."

"Little shit!" Regina's rage was beginning to surface, thinking of how Snow must have charmed her way out of the highlands with her innocent eyes and sad story. But there was nothing sad or innocent about that girl, she was selfish and spoiled, she had ruined Regina's life, condemned her to rot in darkness, making Regina play the role or mother and living doll for her own egoistic amusement. Regina felt her face grow red, her head start to ache and her hands to tighten in fists, making her long, sharp nails dig into her flesh, and the pain of it woke her from her rage-filled haze just as Jamie began to speak again.

"So the man who attacked me hand was the archer ye sent after her?" He asked conversationally, their deal, although it had not been discussed thoroughly, had been apparently settled.

"Yes," Regina hissed a response not liking the fact that their topic was once more that damned man.

Jamie huffed, wiggling his eyebrows once apparently unimpressed but commented, "If he was truly aiming for me hand, he was indeed quite good," he took a few paces away from Regina and leaned back on the pillar where his hand had been most uncomfortably attached to only moments ago, "But I have a niggling feeling he was going for yer head,"

"He was doing no such thing," Regina replied almost protectively, in a small, out of character defense of the man who had just openly shot an arrow at her direction.

Jamie frowned a little at her response, "How can ye be so sure? He's an assassin, no?"

"Yes!" Regina replied a little too exasperated, "But I-" she tried but the words got caught on her throat for she actually had no plausible explanation to back her previous statements with.

It was ridiculous that the only justification she could come up with was that she could _feel_ it. She could feel it in her _gut_ that he would never harm her, even though everything that had been happening lately spoke against it – the dream of him plunging Daniel's dagger up her gut, this pathetic demonstration of jealousy…

Regina felt her breathing quicken and her cheeks grow hot as she fumbled over her head to try to come up with an excuse, a fact, anything to shut Jamie up and end this conversation.

Unfortunately, Jamie beat her to it, grinning like that infuriating cat she had once come across in Wonderland as if he knew all the answers in the world, "Ye have feelings for him." It was not a question, it was a statement, and Regina cursed at her cheeks for turning even redder.

"Don't be absurd," Regina replied with speed even though her blushing face betrayed the truth, "I have feelings for nobody, let alone a filthy, common outlaw" she defended herself because , _no_, there was no way on earth she had any feelings towards that ridiculous outlaw that were not sex or murder related.

"Then why keep him?" Jamie looked at her expectantly even though he was leaning against the pillar, as if daring her to give him a convincing answer.

"He owes me a debt for failing to kill Snow," Regina replied trying to keep her head cold.

That was actually the truth, he _was_ paying a debt, he had offered his services (more like his heart) in exchange for… Now that Regina thought of it, he never asked to be pardoned, he had just offered the heart with some excuse but Regina knew he had an agenda that most certainly involved that dead wife he had and-

"Yes?" Jamie asked, startling Regina back into reality. This was getting downright ridiculous; Regina could only blame her lack of heart for her mind drifting off with so much ease, "A debt? And?"

"_And,_" Regina started impatient, Gods, she wanted to _disappear_, "-now he's paying it,"

"With what exactly?" he squinted only a little and Regina knew he was having way too much fun tormenting her with his silly questions, thinking that their history together gave him some immunity to her fireballs.

Her expression changed, Regina took a deep breath, managed to drain most of the flushed coloring from her cheeks, crossed her arms, raised a perfect brow and told him, "If you ask me one more question James, I swear to every high force there is above, that I will burn down your _entire_ reproductive system."

She took one step towards him and saw his slight smirk dropped completely with the dead serious tone she was using, and he somewhat recoiled a little against the pillar, "Do not think for a minute that I've grown soft over the years, _pet_." She spat the title she had given him oh so long ago with venom.

Regina took yet another set of steps and came to stand right in front of him, "If anything, my fuse is shorter than ever." She widened her eyes a bit for dramatic effect. It worked, Jamie looked like he was doing his best to conceal the fact that he was terrified, "You were just witness to what happens to those who irritate me." She took a few final set of steps and closed the distance between them, her lips mere inches from his, but Regina looked him straight in the eye, "Now be a smart lad and _shut_ _up_."

Regina was out of his personal space the second he dropped his gaze to his feet and cleared his throat. She had her back to him, not interested in looking in those now mocking green orbs. For even though she had managed to scare him, Jamie _knew_, he could somehow tell there was something _more_ happening between her and that filthy man, and she cursed herself for taking in the first place. Regina was not ready to acknowledge what it was exactly that she felt towards the outlaw that prevented her from harming him fatally, but it was _there_; Jamie had seen it, and who was to say that someone else hadn't noticed as well?

He was the one to break the silence, his voice was deeper, all business, which Regina appreciated a lot, "I-" he cleared his throat one more time and continued, "I'm going to keep my man looking for her in the highlands"

Regina turned her head to the side and gave him a simple, "Good" before she quickly disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke that sent her directly back to her bedchambers, where she collapsed in bed after another wave of her hand that rid her entire body of everything she wore.

…

Turned out that falling asleep stark naked over soft, silky covers without her heart back in place, was not the smartest move Regina could have made. She had a restless night even though her eyes remained closed and her body unmoving upon her luxurious bed.

She was wondering about her castle, although everything looked dreamlike, her vision a little blurry, color and light drained a little whilst she crossed hall after hall, went down corridor after stony corridor, all of them looking so confusingly alike that Regina had no idea where she was headed. Night still reigned, _that_ she could tell, the castle was mostly empty and oddly quiet, one or another guard stood at their post – some half asleep – but none of them paid her any mind, it was almost as if they could not see her.

Regina preferred it that way since upon a quick inspection she noticed she was stark naked, just the way she had gone to bed earlier. She was quite aware that this was a mere dream, so Regina did not bother to put on anything to cover her bare body. It actually felt rather freeing to be able to roam about the castle that was rightfully hers in the nude, something she was sure she could never do in real life.

After some time, Regina noticed that she was not walking, her feet did not touch the ground, but rather, she was floating, like a ghost. She moved faster than usual, making her way to some place inside the confines of her castle, she turned left twice, and after following another corridor, turned right. It was only when she went through a dark wooden door - like the ghost that she was - that Regina realized where her gliding feet had taken her.

He was out, sound asleep over the covers of his bed, slumbering on his stomach, and Regina noted with a slight chuckle that he snored a little. She approached the bed that housed his sleeping figure with unnecessary caution (if the guards could not see or hear her, it was most probable that the outlaw would not as well).

There was a single candle burning on the bedside table, which assisted her in seeing his discarded shirt and boots near the bed along with an arrow, which Regina was almost sure was the very same that she had plunged into his shoulder. She frowned, remembering the happenings of less than a few hours ago and looking at the man sprawled on the bed. He looked as if he had simply rid himself of the arrow on his shoulder as easily as he had discarded his shirt and boots, and carelessly thrown himself in bed.

Regina frowned upon the sight, there was no blood; She could spot no red as she scanned the room looking for a stained cloth or a water basin or maybe a-

_Do not be daft Regina, this is a dream! It is __**not**__ reality! That man is not the actual outlaw but simply a product of your twisted, ridiculous imagination, you silly girl_, a severe voice told her, it sounded like very much her own but only graver, maybe mother's, but different somehow, unlike any of the others which insisted in tormenting her.

Regina blinked several times until the harsh voice disappeared from inside her head.

_Yes_

This was a dream, a silly dream. Just a dream, once she woke up it would be over, as if it had never happened, no one would ever know what she did or did not do because it was quite simply not real, Regina herself might not even remember it once she woke.

With that reassurance in mind, Regina approached his bed; she found it odd her mind could come up with such a detailed version of his bedchambers, for she had never stepped inside them before, but she remembered vaguely she had set aside a good room for him. He had pleased her a lot even if he had failed in his mission, so she felt strangely generous and gave him one of the bedchambers that belonged to one of those disgusting nobles.

Dark, heavy, velvet curtains concealed the moonlight, there were fine pieces of furniture about the room, but it was almost bare of any other objects save for a few clothes and boots scattered around, his bow resting against the dresser along with his quiver.

When Regina was finally hovering just beside the bed, her eye was caught the drawer of the bedside table that was slightly ajar, and inside she could see a folded piece of parchment. Mindlessly, she made it to take the paper but her hand went right through it, a ghost she was indeed.

Bubbling curiosity suddenly invaded her, and she quite simply had to know what was written in that sodding piece of paper. Concentrating as much as she could, she tried to use her magic to at least unfold the parchment. It took a little bit off her, but eventually the bending of the paper gave in and opened up to reveal to Regina's own handwriting and two words that brought a smirk to her lips.

_Nice Ass_

Regina could not help but laugh a little at her boldness at the occasion and sensed a little fire build up on the pit of her stomach as she thought of how magical it felt to have his warm body against hers.She inhaled deeply through her nose and finally turned to the man in question, who was still dead to the world, snoring blissfully unaware of her ghostly presence.

Even though he was only illuminated by a single candle, Regina could see his toned back rise and fall quite clearly, his head faced away from the side of the bed she was standing at, and both his hands had found their way underneath the pillow, making it a little higher than it normally was.

Regina took this opportunity to study the man, he was only wearing trousers, no belt, his hair was slightly damp and pushed back – she rather liked it that way as opposed to the mess it always was – and his arms looked big and strong in that position, making it almost impossible for Regina not to want to touch them.

She knew for a fact that she had not stared at his back long enough to have catalogued it in such detail. Nevertheless, there it was, her mind had recollected every single last of the numerous scars he carried. She remembered she had accounted for the ones at the front whenever she had ripped his shirt apart, but had never bothered to really look at the back.

Regina got closer so could see his face better, and found that he was actually frowning. It felt foolish to try to touch him, she was quite aware that her fingers would simply traverse his form and yet Regina could not help but try to trace a particularly eye popping scar on his upper back, on the left side. It had been clearly created a good while ago, for it had no trace of redness about it, but still Regina could almost see how a sharp blade must have carved that mark on the man, one swift swipe that created the long line that reached his left shoulder.

Against her better judgement, Regina's hand ghosted over the scar from the base to his shoulder, she could feel sizzling energy emanating from his skin – his back still rose and fell slowly with his breathing - and felt a cold shiver up her spine.

When she reached his left shoulder, Regina's eyes widened upon seeing a mark there she had _never_ accounted for. She gasped making her fingers actually come in contact with his skin, sending a shock of electricity so strong about her that she immediately withdrew her hand and stood looking hauntingly at what was imprinted on the skin of his shoulder.

A scar, a thick pink line marked the exact same spot she had impaled an arrow soaked in blood that very evening.

Regina could not understand. What was that mark doing there? He did not have such a scar on his shoulder, she knew that only too well, having bitten him on that very spot many times before. And what on earth had that shock been about? She was sure that she felt his skin burn against her fingers.

She felt so confused and panicked, her head started getting light, as if she was going to pass out. She blinked several times and noted that the frown had left his forehead and a wee grin tugged on his lips. That sight brought a new wave of panic throughout Regina's body, making her remember his sickening smile in a dream past where he had shoved Daniel's blade up her gut.

Regina took a few gliding steps back before everything went black.

…

When Regina's eyes shot open, she gasped for air – even though she had been breathing normally whilst asleep – and every last hair on her body stood as a great shiver went through her. Her body was buzzing and so were her ears as she realized she was on her stomach instead of on her back – position she normally slept in – and also that she was still very much naked.

Her body protested when she rose from the bed too soon, her back giving a nice crack but her head becoming light, the buzzing in her ears worsening.

_Too quickly, too quickly_, she thought whilst she closed her eyes. Her feet were already touching the fur rug beside her bed, whilst she took a deep breath and tried to quiet whatever alien thing that was coarsening about her body, her heart-

HER HEART

_How could she have forgotten about her heart of all things?_

Ignoring the protests from her recently awakened body, Regina hastily made her way to her dresser. She saw little black spots in front of her eyes while trying to locate the box, once she found it, she quickly ran her hand over it twice and concentrated on her blood magic. The box opened to reveal her blackened heart, intact, or at least looking like it had when she had ripped it out the night before.

It was only when she took her beating organ in hand that Regina noticed a thin golden line on one side, it was a little long and slightly curved, Regina traced it with her pinkie, the contact giving her goosebumps. A gush of wind invaded her bedroom through the window and diverged her attention.

Her eyes went to the half-closed curtains and she could see a little of the Sun from where she stood, little enough for her to know that it was way beyond the early hours of the day, as it shone brightly right in the middle of the sky.

She huffed and closed her fingers about her heart, took a deep breath and upon the exhale pushed the heart back inside her chest upon the exhale.

Regina had endured pain before, during her magical training, during her first year of being married to Leopold, during all those torturous years of being raised by her mother. This brand of pain, however, was something different, it was as if she was given a shock's worth of all the feelings she had been deprived of since she had been parted from her heart.

Pain, regret, self-consciousness, affection, hate, all rushed through her veins like venom; Regina was hardly capable of registering everything. The next moment, she could feel her body embrace the lost organ as they all became one once more and it started beating at a normal pace.

Regina had not realized she had closed her eyes in the process, but when she reopened them, a single tear fell onto the surface of the dresser. Another gush of air from the windows made Regina aware of the sweat drops along her naked body and she waved her hand, letting her magic wash away the sweat, remains of dirt and dried blood that still rested on her skin.

With a new movement of her hand, her bare feet stopped touching the ground and met the soles of ridiculously high-heeled shoes, and her torso and legs were covered by a random Queenly gown from her endless collection. Hair pinned up, face painted, as if she had spent hours making herself ready.

Mindlessly, Regina went to her full-length mirror in order to inspect her magic's work when a memory hit her, almost like a tornado, the images of a hazy, odd dream Regina was sure she'd had the night before flashed before her eyes.

The untouched arrow on the floor, the note on the nightstand, the numerous scars on his back, the haunting smirk on his features, the pink scar on his shoulder where there should have been bandaging and blood.

The whole thing seemed to be hazy and yet so painfully concrete, even though had been anything but solid in the dream. Her hands had gone through everything she tried to touch, except-

Regina did not let her mind wonder a second more about it before she was out of the door and making her way down her tower. She knew where she was going, she was following the hazy path she had treaded the night before in her dream, half-wishing she was wrong and half-wondering of what she would feel if she were right.

When Regina finally came to stand before the door she had walked through the previous night, she took a deep breath before trying to open it. It was locked, but a little bit of magic was all it took for it to swing open.

Her heart started racing when her eyes accounted that this had been the room she had visited the prior night in her dream. She quickly scanned the place, finding the sheets ruffled but still in place, – as if someone had slept on top of them - and an arrow – the one from the night before – was now on the nightstand. Regina approached the piece of furniture and took the item in order to get a closer look, but her gaze was quickly drawn by something that confirmed her worst theory.

The drawer of the nightstand was still ajar and inside she could still see her handwriting on a piece of paper now mocking her. As if seeing a ghost she walked backwards, feeling her face grow cold and pale, her fear, becoming true, the illusion of the dream breaking apart.

For it had not been a dream. Far from it, it had been only too real.

…

Regina could not wrap her head around what had occurred that night, the only thing she knew was that she had to keep her distance from that man. He was affecting her too much, now that she had her heart back she felt too much and was still terrified of the idea that anybody –worst of all him – had managed to notice her feelings.

Regina herself did not understand completely what she felt for him, for at times she would loathe him with all the strength she had, other times she would desire him fiercely. Most of the time he managed to annoy her to no end and at rare moments, she would feel a shy affection towards him whenever she thought back at the few brief tender moments they had had together.

It was distracting, it was enraging and yet Regina could not bring herself to simply tell him to _leave_.

She had to find the underlying cause of her temporary spiritual detachment, the fact that her spiritual self had chosen to pay _him_ of all people a nightly visit – as opposed to someone useful like Snow White so she could learn where the damned girl was hiding – was but one of the things that worried her. Regina had never experienced such a thing before in her life, she was quite aware that it was possible, having read about it once or twice during her long years of magical study, but she did not know that it could simply happen out of the blue, without warning, and turn her head upside down.

There was also the matter of his shoulder. Regina was quite aware that the magic that she had used on him that night had had the only and simple purpose of transporting him back to the castle and not healing him. And yet, upon their next encounter Regina was able to confirm that there was indeed no wound on the man's shoulder, he had showed no discomfort when, one day, she had been far too irritated and used her fingers in order to make pressure on the presumably wounded area. The only reaction she got was his questioning gaze and a hint of a smirk, but Regina knew too well she was to keep away from those lips before they ended up attached to the most intimate parts of her anatomy.

So she chose to seclude herself again and research, and found that the spiritual wondering could be quite a useful tool in finding Snow if only she was able to control it, but, alas, the next night, Regina's spirit remained attached to her body the entire time.

It was on the third day that she discovered, rummaging through a book that focused on magical hearts alone, that one's heart at times could act like a shield, a barrier if one's soul was too powerful or too filled with magic or in the presence of its twin.

Regina kicked herself for not realizing how foolish she had been about the whole thing, she could not stop thinking about him, of how much he angered her and how much she wanted him regardless, that must have been the reason why her spirit was drawn to him.

She told herself she hated him, and yet, she could not see him gone. Even whilst ignoring him, she watched him when she knew he was not looking, observed him from afar whilst he gave instructions to the patrols that went out in search of Snow. She never let him leave, evil parts of her told her she did that because she knew he loved to hunt, but other, more selfish parts of her, said that she did not want to part with him, that she was afraid that he might leave for good, even without his heart.

That thought haunted Regina more than she cared to admit, and yet, with each passing day she was more distant to him. Denying the infuriating pull they had was downright idiotic but she was resolute in ignoring it – and him - as much as she could.

And even though she had managed to find a plausible explanation for her spirit wandering that night, his healed shoulder still remained very much a mystery, and Regina would be damned if she were ever to ask him how he had managed to heal so fast. Using magic no doubt, but whose magic? Certainly not hers, although the idea that her magic had been slightly rebellious and acted on its own accord did seem possible. But at the end of the day, she was in the dark.

…

Almost an entire week passed, before the Sun chose to make another appearance in Regina's part of the land. She planned to take Rocinante out and simply ride with absolutely no destination in mind, just to feel the wind hit her face and the adrenaline of riding – and of her hard-earned freedom - course through her veins. But of course, Regina could not overlook her obligations and it seemed as if it was some sick twist of fate that she had to speak to _him_ of all people about this matter_._ She had important orders to deliver and they had to be to him, she had made him the sodding _captain_ after all, there was no one above him except, her – not exactly the way she wanted to be above him at the moment, but that was beside the point.

But it was obvious that he was going to act like the smug bastard that he was, he was not even listening to what she was saying, too busy trying to pop the first button of her coat with his piercing gaze. The banter came in almost naturally, as if they had been talking back at each other for hours already, each tongue sharper than the other, the closeness of his body doing things to her own she did not care to feel right now.

And yet she felt more alive then than she had in weeks. His words were taking a more daring tone than usual and Regina could not help but start to feel weak at his remarks.

_Did he think she was merciful? Did he really think he could get away with saying anything he wanted without fatal consequences?_ The more dreadful of all of the questions was a soft whisper that asked; _Could he indeed?_

Something dark inside Regina - some might call it self-preservation, others define it plainly as fear – ignited her magic, and she could feel the warmth of a familiar fireball start to build up on the palm of her hand, her eyes getting slightly glassy with blinding rage. She was going to fry him and-

"YOUR MAJESTY!"

Regina did not know if it was the sharp scream calling out to her or the ridiculous pain she felt on her nose when it bumped forcibly with the outlaw's that broke the spell, but the fire she was creating died and her attentions completely diverged.

At first, the only thing the young man she had paid handsomely to keep an eye on George managed to ignite in her was more annoyance, as his statements brought on that irritating jealous disposition the thief seemed to be keen on displaying lately.

But as soon as Snow's name was mentioned, everything else simply went up in smoke. Regina's heart pumped fast on her chest imagining just how she was going to march into George's castle, grab Snow by the throat and drag her back to her own castle, so she could give her the 'royal' treatment she deserved.

The glorious sensation was shortly lived, however, because upon hearing that George himself had set the sodding girl free – when he _knew_ Regina looked for her day and night – her vision had been dominated by red once more. She did not care who she harmed, she had to release her anger somehow, and it was due to the informant's lack of good fortune that his throat happened to be in her field of vision.

She was adamant in killing the man for the mere fact that she was discontented with the news he had just delivered. It made no sense even in _her_ twisted mind to go through with this, but regardless, her hands still squeezed hard, death was the objective.

When the outlaw's hand came in contact with her shoulder lightly, it seemed as if she was being jolted back to reason. An odd sensation flowed about her body and Regina felt easy, not as haunted, not as mad, and as a result, her hand released the man's neck, his death sentence being put to a stop.

The man gasped for air but Regina could barely register him, all she felt was that hand on her shoulder sending the most appeasing sensations about her body. She did not know when she closed her eyes, but then all she saw was black, she took one deep breath and could swear that in the dark canvas she could see thin light stripes, that danced before her and relaxed her even more. They were green but then would shift to blue, then green again. Regina was dizzy, his touch was good, it made her calm, it made her-

_Weak_, the impish voice whispered in her ear

Her eyes shot open and she was surprised to discover they were moist with tears, Regina quickly tried to brush them away, and turned around to bark at him with wrongly directed loathing for touching her.

To her utter shock, he did not seem to have a witty comeback to her unpleasant words, but rather stood his ground looking at her.

There were more important issues at hand, and so with a dash of magic, Regina and her ever so annoying outlaw, disappeared in cloud of purple smoke, leaving behind a dumbfounded and yet extremely grateful spy, for still being alive and for the gold pieces that appeared out of thin air.

Regina had never warmed up to any royal, - except for the ones she had taken to her bed, but that was a completely different matter – but she had always particularly disliked George. She had only kept business with his kingdom for the sake of his son, but now James was gone, substituted with a perfect forgery.

Regina tried to pay as little mind as possible to the thief she had brought along – she still did not know why she had done so – looking out of the tall windows, trying to clear her head, thinking of the best kind of strategy in order to deal with George. Even though Regina had been Queen for ten years, she had very little experience in imposing herself in royal dealings; the best way for her to negotiate was still in the making. While she could frighten most into submission with her magic, royals - mostly Kings - were another breed of people, they all had dipped their toes into magical waters for some reason or another. All of them had magical connections of their own – Regina was almost sure there was some sort of alliance between George and the Dark One, or at least someone with magical properties, maybe that disgusting Blue _bug_.

When the king finally 'graced' Regina with his presence, his false, welcoming tone – that reminded her painfully of how Leopold spoke to others of the same class – made it quite easy for her to make up a strategy. She would show him she was _not_ to be toyed with, that she was _not_ Leopold and she did _not_ forgive, diplomacy would be saved for the monarchs who deserved it.

It was fairly easy for him to drop his courteous mask after a few of her responses. Regina felt a strong pang of anger towards him when the man tried to order her outlaw around. But of course, the man in question did not even finch, as she expected, but then a strange sense of possession took over her and the words, _you do not get to order my own around, George_ slipped from her mouth and Regina paused for a moment thinking about the depth of that statement. Something George would never dream of knowing but that deep inside, Regina knew only too well what truly meant.

They got to business, she wanted answers and Snow White, and she would be dammed if she did not leave that castle with at least one of the two. And even though Regina's threat was masterfully delivered, nothing could have prepared her for the response George would give her.

_Snow was in love_

How was that possible? Was that old man even telling her the truth? Regina felt her heart shrink at the thought of Snow's happy, beaming, lovesick face as she locked eyes with the _prince_ – and how ironic it was that she should fall for a false prince when Regina remembered a young Snow telling her about dreams of marrying a real one.

She needed more, and Regina made sure never to drop her mask of hatred as George told her the oddest story she had ever heard. It did not seem to fit, especially since she had briefly met James' twin brother, and while James himself would have done as the King had retold, Regina did not quite believe his meek and shy brother would do the same.

Regina had to admit she liked the idea that Snow had lost her innocence to some blue eyed, handsome prince who tossed her to the side when he was done with her, when he had gotten what he desired, and she had been left with nothing but her unrequited love and bloody underclothes.

But this story did not fit with the one her spy had told her, that the King himself had ordered the guard. George assured her he was away, but there was something amiss, definitely more than one thing. Regina opened her mouth to retort but to her utter surprise, the outlaw's voiced rung loud and clear, accusing the King of being a liar.

Regina had to admit that what transpired after that was nothing short of entertaining. George's face turning crimson whilst he found out that the thief had encouraged the naïve, make believe prince to 'follow his heart' – what an utter fill of bullshit, but still rather entertaining to watch. How the prince of thieves really showed no intimidation due to being toe to toe with an actual King and almost spat at his wrinkled, royal face. How George lunged himself at him and most pathetically tried to choke the younger and fairly more able man.

All that entertainment and mocking words at George's hot head were actually only a cover to keep Regina's own head at low temperatures. She heard the thief quite well, the fake prince loved Snow, he wanted to leave the kingdom, the crown, the gold, the power, everything for her and the mere thought of Snow getting true love when Regina's was ripped away _because_ of that damned flake of a girl made her sick to her stomach.

For a split second, Regina's head was taken to the past and her brown eyes met stunned blue orbs, wide and a moment later, dead.

_Snow was not-_ Regina felt her heart hammer on her chest when Daniel's dead eyes disappeared from her reality.

_Regina would be DEAD before that brat ever got a chance to- _She felt her head light and her forehead grow cold at the mere thought of Snow locking lips with a man which Regina had technically had.

Daniel was dead because of _her_, and so that girl did not have the _right_ to love, let alone true love. If Regina had it taken away from her, Snow would never have the chance to even know it-

Regina's magic was at the tip of her fingers, buzzing with purple hatred, she only had to think of the command and George's figure was shoved away from the outlaw's. With all the venom her almost delirious loathing created, she delivered her final threats and decisions to the pathetic king, but not before assuring him that her thief would only meet his end at her hands, which Regina knew was yet another bag of utter crap, because she had not come to terms with the fact that she was unable to kill him, but that secret was hers to keep.

Once she was done informing George that his country would go to ruin, Regina did not care to spend another second in that castle – some parts of her were actually afraid that she might give into her instincts and simply kill George as he had suggested - and so she poofed herself, along with the outlaw, back to her own castle.

The library on the west wing, a not so spacious but oddly tall room that had had its entrance blocked for as long as Regina had lived in this castle. She had found out some years into her marriage that it had been Eva's favorite place to spend time alone and so the grieving King Leopold had sealed the entrance, for the memories of the place were far too painful.

Regina could almost vomit at the thought; she had far more painful memories thanks to his highness. She had broken into the place with her magic, making sure to leave no traces behind, and made the place her own, just to spite the King, who never had the chance to find out about her rebellion until the very end. She had burned every last book belonging to Eva, along with the light colored carpets and curtains. She filled the room with her own things, painted the room crimson with heavy velvet curtains and matching Persian rugs in dark colors. With a dash of magic, she turned the light colored wood of all the furniture dark and substituted the many tables for reading with three comfortable sofas and a chaise, keeping only one solitary table.

She could see specks of dust in the air, lightened by the thin streaks of light coming from the half concealed windows, but most importantly she could see the vibrancy of the outlaw's blue eyes looking back at her in awe as she had transported them to land toe to toe, their faces a mere breath away from one another.

There was a huge lump on Regina's throat, a million questions she wanted to ask him about the encounter he had had with David, the make-believe prince, but not a word left her lips. Instead Regina stared him down, and he met her piercing gaze with the same intensity, which both excited and annoyed her to no end.

The bursting anger at fate for having given Snow the opportunity to know true love finally won over, so Regina questioned him about the intensity of the prince's affection. The outlaw's response only managed to anger Regina further and also brought a strange melancholy feeling to her chest when he spoke of this supposedly connection Snow shared with the man.

A strange connection the outlaw quite clearly knew more about but was unwilling to disclose to her, a type of connection Regina never got to have _because_ of Snow. Everything in her world had been dipped in misery thanks to that girl, there was not a day that went by in which Regina did not imagine what her life would have been like if that meddling girl had not crossed her path.

And now, Snow had had a taste of it, a taste of sweet kisses, warm embraces and Gods knew what else. While Regina was left with nothing, alone to rot in darkness while that girl basked in the light of true love.

Regina was half listening to the words the outlaw was saying, they hurt too much, for even though she wanted to know, at the same time she did not, suddenly wanting to revel in the sad, false happiness her prior ignorance had given her. She felt alone and unloved, - and unlovable - irrelevant and pushed to the side.

She needed to feel something, _anything_, anything at all that resembled the warmth of being loved, anything that showed that another cared. But she would never have that, because no one cared, not truly.

And yet there he was. He was still speaking but all Regina saw was his mouth, all she suddenly could think about was that buzz, that thrilling chill that went up her spine whenever he touched her.

_It was time for him to shut up._

She kissed him, long and hard, fast and bruising, she kissed him with such intensity Regina herself had not expected her body to act with so much ardor. It had indeed been a long time since they had last had something like this. He kissed her back and for the first time in weeks things feel into place, she felt warm and lightheaded and extremely horny. He was grabbing as much as he could, as if enjoying every single moment as if it might be their last. She had only her bitchy attitude to thank for that, Regina reasoned.

When his mighty grip on her behind brought their frames to collide, Regina broke the kiss, being jolted to reality once more. She looked him all over, analyzed him whilst still gripping his jaw and contemplated on how much she wanted him - she had never craved for anyone else so much in her entire life - and whether he could indeed be trusted. The bulge pressing against her thigh showcased that he at least wanted her just as badly, but she had to admit that his attitude in George's castle had been... Surprising, and yet astoundingly pleasing. Could Regina trust him?

"One could mistake what you did for loyalty," she tested him and broke the contact between their bodies whilst speaking, half resting her weight on the surface of the lone table that decorated the room. He took a beat to respond, which Regina regarded with suspicion, but of course he had a smart remark to throw her way eventually.

But Regina was done with narrowing her eyes and pushing him away, he was in very many ways as entertaining as he was annoying, so why not bask in the least upsetting of the two? Plus he had demonstrated he could be trusted, at least a little.

So Regina threw her head back and laughed, she laughed as she hadn't for many, many weeks, feeling a strong pang on her chest that she refused to acknowledge as happiness but sure felt very much like it. Their banter restarted but this time in a lighter tone, although his eyes did betray to be wary at times, he was mostly relaxed and most definitely cocky about the fact that he had made her gasp.

When he spoke so openly of his actual cock, something warm and dark started bubbling on the pit of her stomach, and Regina could not resist but palm him right _there_. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed his complete helplessness when it came to her touch, her sudden unexpected touches had always rendered him speechless and she found she rather liked him like that, with his cock hard and his mouth shut.

Regina decided to take her time in this, let him cook for a while, tease him a little bit more, she was positively sure that they were going to end up having sex in every single bangable surface in that room, so why rush?

Then he managed to surprise her. First, by being able to find his words at all (his face was rather comical, with red lip coloring smeared all over his lips plus the same coloring in a lighter tone adorned his cheeks). Second, for actually trying to strike a deal with her, a simple _thank_ _you_ in exchange for Snow White was quite a deal, although Regina knew pretty well that if he ever managed to capture the damned girl, she would probably let him ride her to exhaustion.

With the thought of being fucked until she passed out, Regina shook hands with him, and quickly pulled him to her, growing tired of his voice and far too wet for their own good.

She could get lost in those heated kisses, their mouths moved with such passion, such eagerness and again, his hands seemed to be everywhere, he seemed to want to rip off every single artifact of clothing she wore all at the same time. She knew he was very particular about magic - obviously since most of the times she had used it on him had been to transport him to hostile places - so Regina humored herself in taking his own clothing off with a dash, or maybe a lot of magic. When pushing down his pants had made very little effect in getting him naked, Regina decided to burn down his trousers, boots and everything else not made of skin bellow his waist.

Although he had looked a little uncomfortable at first, as soon as he realized her intentions were only in getting him more naked, he relaxed and attacked her neck with his expert lips, leaving for sure purple and red marks behind.

When the trousers were gone, she pushed at him a little and beheld him with heated eyes, her gaze met by his with the same intense lust filled stare. During such an intense exchange she had to wonder how on earth she had been able to stay away from him for weeks, he was undeniably handsome, so toned, so pleasing to the eye, add to that the multiple orgasms and the intense feeling, the crazy chemistry between them… she was shocked she had not attacked him in the hallways.

Regina held his gaze whilst using only her nails to tease him, holding him captive with her intense stare, or was she the one who was being held by his? Her hand went up his muscled front and Regina wanted to eat him alive, she wanted him hot and naked above her, behind her, beneath her and every single other position she could think of.

The remains of his shirt hung about his shoulders when he made a comment that had her pausing altogether.

"Missed me all that much?"

Regina was beginning to believe this man might be as mentally ill as herself. She had to confess he fascinated her in an odd way, she still could not discern if he was indeed _that_ brave, _that_ confident, or had the thrills for danger. She hoped it was the latter, for what she had planned for him was the furthest thing from safe, she had always thought that bedding her alone was already a dangerous sport on itself – and she was right, one wrong move, one wrong word and there were no second chances.

He met her distasteful words with a set of teasing ones and Regina was literally bursting with desire, and all that talk of button pushing and clothing ripping was making her even wetter. Their banter soon turned hot again as he was leaning on her, her legs, spread wide, welcoming his frame in between them and as he spoke Regina could not help but anticipate everything she was going to do to that man against that table, on the sofa, against the bookcase, on the floor, pressed against-

Her heart stopped.

He was so fast and she was so, so, so, very stupid. How could she have ever trusted him?

Regina felt her blood grow cold, life drain from her features, as he slashed the knife towards her, she could do nothing to help it but gasp in utter surprise. She felt like crying at her stupidity, at her pathetic loneliness, her ridiculous cravings and her unnecessary feelings towards him. They had blinded her and now she was going to pay for her naivetés just like Daniel's life had paid for her trusting her mother.

She had had dream about this, a dream that she now knew had happened in order to warn her, but Regina had thrown caution to the wind and listened to the half-naked Queen inside her head instead of paying attention to the heartless Queen who knew better.

She felt her whole body go limp, the desire that had been practically bursting from her was quickly substituted by nausea and Regina swallowed, waiting for the sharp pain. Was that what it felt like to be stabbed? She wondered how long it would take for her to die.

But no pain came, nothing whatsoever. Her glassy, unblinking eyes regarded him and he looked as smug as always whilst he threw the shiny, pointy knife back blindly.

Regina was not capable or coherent thought, she was sure she was not breathing and almost certain she was about to pass out.

She could not understand, what had he done? Why wasn't she in agonizing pain? Why hadn't the taste of copper hit her senses? And why on earth was he looking at her as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred?

It took her long moments to realize that her cape had been cut open and in that period of time the expression on the person responsible for it morphed from smug to confused and to Regina's surprise, slightly worried.

_He-_

He had not attacked her.

He had attacked her coat but, not_ her._

_He-_

He had cut off her coat like she had ripped all his clothes to shreds.

He was not trying to kill her, he was trying to get her naked.

"You-" Regina drew in her first breath in what seemed to be a long time, she noticed that when she spoke, so did he, he also seemed to be holding his breath, staring at her, a look in his eyes she did not to want to acknowledge, but knew it was concern.

"You could have-" _killed me, stabbed me, ended me, bruised me, slit my throat-_

And yet he didn't, she could hardly believe that he had not used of this opportunity to harm his jailor – was she really his jailor at this point? – or to at least threaten her to gain his heart and freedom back, but no. He slashed the red, velvet cape open and disposed of the weapon that could have ended Regina's very existence as if it was nothing.

"You didn't-" the emotions rushing through her body was almost too intense for Regina to take; relief, gratitude, doubt, apprehension and _lust_.

Maybe he was trustworthy after all, maybe she did not have to push him away so much. She could recall the beginning of his time in her castle being most pleasing, in which she got what she wanted and he was not complaining.

Regina took one deep inhale of air through her nose and felt color return to her features as her body seemed to regain life, waking up from the shock it had just suffered.

"I-" he started, but upon hearing his voice, it was as if he had reignited all of the feelings she had been basking in before he decided to juggle a knife without waning in front of her.

She would have him, but she would have him like the old times, she would be in absolute control, and he'd better obey her or else… She spun them around, banged his behind – and how she had missed that meaty asset of his - against the wooden surface of the table and after he situated himself there, climbed on top of him in a way that would make her mother cringe.

_Regina, that is utterly unacceptable, he's a filthy_\- she tried, that heartless Queen always tried to dissuade her from being with him.

But her cries were muffed by the excited voice coming from a half clad version of herself, _Finally! I was about to do something terribly foolish if you did not get that man in between your legs!_

Regina could only laugh internally at the fact that he also got creative when it came to removing her clothes. Upon looking at that man yanking off button by button with his bare teeth, something yet more feral started to bubble inside her. The feeling only increased when his lips started giving her nipples the best of treatments, his hand always making sure the opposing hardened end of her breast did not feel unappreciated.

But Regina's insides really caught on fire when he spanked her, it was sudden and most natural, right after she was almost sure she had moaned his name, something she did not remember ever doing before.

_Oh yes_, the slight slap sent a shiver up her spine and she could not help but press her sex against him further and moan. She quickly got rid of the rest of what remained of her clothing with magic, making her wet core come in contact with his hard cock – and oh, it had been such a long time since she had felt him like this, and to hell with him if this did not feel like home – he slapped her arse again, but this time Regina felt a jolt of incredible electricity about herself now that his bare hand met her bare bum.

Gods, he would be the death of her. She was delirious with wanton, she wanted him now, inside her, fucking her good and proper, then long and hard, then fast and loud. And although Regina could barely hold her excitement, she decided to make her descent unto him a slow one, not resisting the urge to torture him just a little bit more.

Little did she know that her fun was just about to end.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important,"

Regina stopped dead, ceased her descent and her movements completely when the familiar voice reached her ears.

_Maleficent_

Regina's eyes had snapped opened and she found herself looking at a frowning outlaw who had a slight pout on his lips. Her palms rested upon the surface of the wooden table and whilst taking a deep breath in a fruitless attempt to calm herself, Regina's nails scratched the surface with enough force to leave marks. She growled just as the outlaw opened his mouth to say something and pushed her body away from his, lifting one knee in order to dismount him – and consequently disconnecting their half engaged sexes – and sat on the table next to his figure in order to face her old _friend_.

Maleficent was right there, standing by the bolted door – had most certainly used magic to enter the room – wearing a smirk Regina wanted to punch away. Her blond hair the usual mess of gold curls, which housed some of her strange headpieces, her dress was made of a flowy fabric tainted in a deep, plum color, her waist was firmly tightened by an exquisite corset, and she carried her usual staff.

Regina prided herself in finding her voice rather quickly, although it was slightly raspy, "Why do I get the feeling-" she crossed her legs and felt the outlaw rise from his previous position to see who the intruder was, "-that you have been standing there for quite a while?"

She could see the outlaw's brows shoot up when he laid his irritated eyes on the person who had interrupted their more than intimate moment. When Regina was done speaking, she noticed he turned to look at her with a questioning gaze she did not want to meet at the moment.

It wasn't surprising at all to Regina that before Maleficent gave her any sort of explanation, her eyes feasted upon the very much nearly naked man sitting next to her – only a thoroughly torn shirt hanging on his shoulders. The she-dragon's eyes widened a bit at the sight, and Regina felt a strange pang of anger at her for more reasons than simply interrupting her near coitus.

Maleficent's lip curled into the smallest of grins before she replied, her eyes still on the outlaw, "Not really," she replied diverging her eyes back to Regina and continued arching one eyebrow, "-just enough to see you still like to get spanked,"

Regina's mouth snapped opened at Maleficent's words, for all she had lived, why had her past come to bite her in the ass at this precise moment? She heard a small muffed snort coming from the man sitting beside her and her head snapped at his direction quickly, her eyes wide with anger. He had the nerve to have amusement dancing about his eyes and a blush on his cheeks that betrayed the fact that he was holding back a laugh. Before she could reprimand him or castrate him, Maleficent spoke again.

"I see you have a new toy," Maleficent grinned and Regina heard a low groan of displeasure coming from the outlaw on her left.

The blonde took a couple of leisurely steps towards them but the distance between them was still significant. Her eyes were shamelessly ogling the thief and Regina felt her face grow hot, "I'd just be careful with the silver dear." She continued, her eyes were back at Regina, "This one is in the habit of taking which that does not belong to him," she arched a brow at him, who gave the woman a dismissing huff.

She turned her gaze back to Regina, who felt ridiculous that her heart was hammering so hard inside her chest, true she was very much naked, – but then again, this was not the first nor the second time Maleficent had seen her like this. Plus there wasn't just her bare flesh on display but the outlaw's and Regina simply could not get over the fact that Maleficent's eyes seemed to be enjoying the view way too much-

_But wait, no, how?_

"You know each other?" Regina's voice came out a little higher than she planned; she kept her eyes on Maleficent but could feel the outlaw shift uncomfortably beside her.

"Why yes," Maleficent looked slightly bored whilst she spoke, "He and his merry band of bandits stole some gold from me a couple of years ago, _and_-" her voice rose when uttering 'and' as if remembering something of importance that made her angry, "-a looking glass," her stare had diverged from interested to angered whilst still looking at the man, "The likes of which I am yet to see again."

Regina was slightly startled to hear him finally speak up as opposed to the discontent huffing he had been producing ever since Maleficent's interruption, "I don't have it." He shrugged his shoulders and Regina noticed for the first time that he seemed to be very unintimidated by Maleficent's presence, which struck her as odd, for it looked like he knew exactly who witch was.

"Is that not your standard reply?" Maleficent threw back at him clearly not amused by his response.

"It is-" he responded on the same beat then clicked his tongue - Regina was feeling way too uncomfortable in having him be so bare in front of any other, especially since Maleficent's eyes shone with a dangerous, far too interested glint, "But it's the truth." He adjusted his position on the table and Regina felt her hands close in angry fists when Maleficent's eyes shot down to his crotch, "I have not seen the thief who stole it in years."

"But as you are the leader-" Maleficent started but he corrected her with an incisive '_was_', and her eyes widened at his little outburst as she continued, "-_were_ the leader, I'm sure you can make it up to me."

Regina did not have time to think, let alone react, when Maleficent flicked her wrist and in two seconds, the outlaw disappeared from the spot where he had been sitting on, only to reappear right in front of the damned she-dragon herself.

"What the-" he started, but Maleficent placed a silencing finger on his lips. He quickly jerked his head away from her touch, making a small sound of disgust.

Regina could not see his face, only his back and arse, as he was now facing away from her, but the smile on Maleficent's lips, regardless of his less then welcoming reactions, told Regina everything she needed to know about the woman's intentions.

Regina's hands had a death grip on the table as she forced herself to remain sitting there, "I'm sure you can make it up for me one way or another," the she-dragon slurred to him, ignoring Regina's presence altogether.

Maleficent brought one hand up to touch the man's torso and that was when Regina snapped. Before she knew what she was saying the words fell from her lips, "No, he most certainly cannot." Her magic was instantly ignited, and, before Maleficent had a chance to touch the outlaw again, he was pulled back by an invisible force and violently thrown back to Regina's side.

The spell was quite potent, for he landed on his back beside her producing sounds of pain after his anything-but-soft landing. He groaned as he sat back up, patting the back of head and turned to her just as he had settled back on his prior sitting position.

But Regina's attentions were fixed on the woman who arched an amused brow, seeming a little surprised at her attitude, "Dear, are you jealous?"

"Territorial, that's all," Regina brushed her comment away, trying to mask her evident jealousy as best she could.

Regina tried her best to focus on Maleficent, but when she felt his breath on the shell of her ear and the words, "Is that so?" reach her senses – plus the smug grin that she could not see and yet simply _knew_ was plastered on his features – all she wanted to do was punch him. She groaned inwardly thinking her reactions were only going to get her in trouble.

Maleficent gave a her slight laugh and waved her hands whilst she explained nonchalantly, "Never fret dear, I most certainly am not claiming anything." She smiled a wicked smile back at Regina, "I just want to _borrow_ your delectable toy for a few hours," Regina could see from the corner of her eye that the use of the word '_toy'_ was not pleasing the man in any way, "-maybe even a few days?" She shrugged only a little and with a wave of her hand, the man was being pulled back towards her, coming to stand in front of her once more.

Regina took a deep breath, she had to cool down, but her head felt as if it was going to explode. Her rage-filled jealousy almost making her deaf to the words Maleficent was uttering when she was finally able to trace her fingers about the outlaw's chest. Regina's head thumped with even more anger at the fact that this time, the man did not jerk away from the other woman's touch.

Regina had to remind herself she could not let her true feelings show; she could not let anyone know, much less the man in question, that she had any sort of sentiment towards him. But damned Maleficent was making things exceedingly difficult for her by putting her hands where did they not belong, for that man belonged to Regina and no one else.

"That is-" she had the nerve to pull off the shreds that remained of his shirt from his shoulders, baring him completely to her eager eyes, - whilst the man himself did not seem to mind the attention he was getting from the blonde at all, Regina was going to kill him if he-

Maleficent bit her lower lip, looking down, giving him an appreciative nod, and completed, "-if he wants to come back to you after I'm done with him." She looked at Regina over his shoulder and smiled.

Regina felt her teeth clench, she was almost certain her head was going to explode. She shot from her seat on the table quickly, her jealousy acting on its own, controlling her limbs. She was quickly being overtaken by her strong emotions, and she knew only disasters occurred when those came to play. When Maleficent's hand, which was still rested upon his chest, started a dangerous journey south, Regina used her magic and the thief disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke before she was able to get her flimsy hands where they were not welcome.

The man reappeared not next to her, as Regina had commanded, but several feet away from the floor, floating just above both sorcerers with both his butt cheeks glued to the ceiling looking rather startled but others parts of his anatomy told Regina he was rather keen on the ideas that had been suggested by the blonde so far.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Regina demanded to know, looking with fury at Maleficent, who was seemed quite annoyed by Regina's reluctance of lending her new _toy_.

_That_, she would never do, that man was hers and he had the marks to prove it.

"Stop being such a spoil sport, _little dove_" Maleficent had the nerve to call her by that pathetic pet name and Regina felt like strangling her.

At the sound of that annoying name, Regina's hand started to burn, she was so angry she could set fire to the entire castle at this point. It had been apparently all the distraction Maleficent had needed, the blonde used her own magic again and made the bandit come down from this hoisted position and stand in between the both of them. He seemed to have finally gotten used to the cloud of smoke travelling, for as soon as he had his feet back on the ground, he was grinning at her, and she looked back at him with a stare that told him she would blast that smile out of his face.

"I'm surprised at you dear," Maleficent's voice drew her attention away from the man, the blonde was looking back at her with a puzzled expression, "I can recall we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly in the company of that big, copper haired, young man-"

"Must we speak of _him_?" the outlaw had the audacity to whine.

Regina still held up a fire ball but this time looked at him with furious eyes and huffed out, indicating his nether parts by motioning her chin forward, her face twisted in distaste, "How dare you-?"

Maleficent's voice now, for the first time ever since her arrival had truly sounded serious, "Dear, are you truly jealous?"

Her eyes snapped at the woman but before she could give a negative response, the outlaw's voice sounded, bringing both the women's attentions to his naked self.

"My ladies," he clasped both his hands on his back and swayed a little on his heels, "There's enough Robin for everyone," he had the nerve to smirk at both of them, first at Regina, then at Maleficent to whom he sent the most indiscreet wink Regina had ever witnessed.

Regina did not know how her eyes did not pop out of her skull, for she felt them ache from the force she was using to widen them. Maleficent roared out a crackled laugh and managed to utter along the lines of them an '_I like this one'_, but Regina had had _it_.

In a cloud of purple smoke he disappeared, and Regina made sure to listen hard so she could hear his hot and bothered body hit the lake's icy water, the splash brought a smile to her lips. His absence and misfortune bringing an odd sense of calmness about her body.

He was indeed going to be the death of her.

When Maleficent noticed that the man had not been poofed to another location within the confines of the room, her laughter ceased and she questioned Regina truly, "What's wrong?"

Regina decided to ignore her question and went straight to her point, "What do you want?"

"Whatever do you mean by that?" the she-dragon sounded a little confused.

"Why are you here, Maleficent?" Regina tried again.

"You summoned me, little dove-" Maleficent gave back to her.

"Stop calling me that!" Regina was starting to hate that name, she was not a _little dove_ anymore, she might have been, a long, long time ago, when she first met the woman in front of her, but not anymore, a lot had happened ever since that day, _everything_ had happened.

She did an intake of breath through her nose, trying to bring down the enraged haze of jealousy and was reminded that indeed she had sent for Maleficent.

"But that was weeks ago," Regina threw back at her.

"I have been busy," Maleficent told her, and Regina knew only too well that she was lying, "Getting cold dear?" she gestured towards Regina's chest and she then noticed she had gooseflesh all over her torso and her nipples were rather alert, "Want me to warm you up?" Maleficent joked.

Regina liberated an irritated groan and with a wave of her hand had her fair skin covered with a heavy, dark robe that reached her feet, "I was pretty warm before _you_ decided to storm in," she complained under her breath.

"Speaking of which," Maleficent moved and sat on one of the large sofas about the room, making herself at home, this was not the first time she had been here anyway, "What _was_ all that about?" She truly did sound rather puzzled about the idea, "How come you had an outlaw who is wanted dead by practically every noble in the realm in between your legs?"

Regina prayed she had not flushed a little at the question, she felt ridiculous and childish, _why should she blush anyway?_

"I think you know _how_ Maleficent," she tried to escape the questions and sat on the chaise that faced the sofa Maleficent had chosen to lounge in.

"Of course dear," she gave her a knowing look and continued, "But you stand for everything his kind abhors, why would he ever even _be_ here? Let alone naked with you?"

Regina chuckled a little at her choice of words and delivered them to her old friend, "He's had a change of heart,"

Maleficent regarded her with curiosity for a beat but said nothing, maybe she had understood the meaning behind her words and maybe she hadn't, all Regina knew was that now she felt much more like herself in the man's absence, and she could not help but take a deep breath that finally managed to relax her body a little.

"I did not call you here so you could make unnecessary inquiries about my staff nor try to abduct them," Regina spoke again with a hint of venom in her voice, she knew she had to be tough in order to convince Maleficent, she gave the woman a grave look and continued, "I need something from you"

"Of course you do," the woman gave her, clearly unsurprised at Regina's words, "You never call on me unless you want something Regina."

Regina huffed and nodded once at her friend because, _yes_, that was true. She decided to cut to the point.

"I need your sleeping curse"

Her words were met with the exact reaction Regina had expected, laughter. Regina could only sneer at her friend and wait for her outburst to subside before adding, "I fail to see the humor behind my request," with an arched brow.

"Just one question Regina, what will you be giving me in return?" Maleficent asked once the smile had left her lips.

Regina's mind automatically went for the outlaw, of how Maleficent had been more than interested in him, but could she? _No_, it was out of the question, she could _never_ give him up, she could barely stand the sight of another _looking_ at him that way let alone allow, _trade_, him-

"And no," Maleficent spoke again as if reading her mind, "I will not be accepting your toy as payment," Regina could just stare back at her whilst she continued, "Since it's a curse you want, I can only accept another curse as payment."

_Fantastic_

There was a small part of Regina that breathed with a little bit more ease knowing that she would not have to whore out her- _whatever he was_ \- to obtain the curse. But the majority of her trembled, for what on earth could she offer Maleficent now? She did not have any curse that Maleficent herself could not procure, the she-dragon was – as Regina was reluctant to admit – much more powerful than she was, had decades of more experience than Regina.

Regina swallowed, she could not, in any circumstances, show Maleficent she had literally nothing of true value to trade for the damned curse.

"You could help yourself to my collection-" Regina thanked her lucky stars for her and her mother's conjoined collection of enchanted hearts, maybe one or five hearts would be sufficient, "-I'm sure there is one or another you could use."

"You forget, I have the same ability Regina dear, I could just as easily rip _your_ heart out if I wanted to." Maleficent told her and the only moving part of her body being her arching eyebrow.

She was right, and Regina was royally fucked. She hated feeling this powerless, she should not have even called on that damned woman in the first place, she had thought that their history might give Regina some credit when getting what she wanted, but apparently, Maleficent was a far cry from Jamie.

"I don't suppose you even have a vessel, do you?" Maleficent continued.

Regina's lips became a thin line and she said nothing in reply. This was stupid, what had possessed her to make her think this was in any way a good idea? She felt foolish and incompetent, she could almost hear her mother's voice mocking her, _such a disappointment Regina, can't even negotiate properly._

Maleficent, however, surprised Regina by not being a completely heartless bitch and continued to speak, "You know I can't part with that needle, it's complicated, plus it's part of the sleeping enchantment, if you use it on someone else, the curse on Aurora will be broken, and I simply cannot have that." She told her truly, Regina believed her, she knew too well how Maleficent felt, she nodded, silently telling the woman sitting across from her to continue.

"As for the curse,-" she bit her lower lip for a beat before she continued, "It's utterly useless without a vessel." She adjusted her position on the sofa, "You would need an object that can either be injected or consumed by your victim, but that object has to have been thoroughly corrupted with dark magic, so it can actually house the curse, otherwise the curse will just destroy it." Maleficent swallowed dry and made a displeased face, adding in a completely different tone, "Regina, you are the worst host I've ever come across, how come you have business with so many people when you haven't even offered me a glass of wine?"

Regina had to smirk at her old friend, she did not even have to move, her magic worked of its own accord, and before Maleficent could take another breath to complain, a goblet appeared on her grasp.

"I normally just threaten to burn their entire kingdoms to the ground," Regina stated simply, as if she was talking about the weather.

"You and I both know you're not that powerful" Maleficent shot back at her and sipped her wine.

"They don't know that, now, do they?" Regina's smirk widened.

"I'd be careful with the threats you make dear, not everybody is as _nice_ as me," the other woman told her.

"I know what I am doing," Regina shot back at her, but truly, she had no idea of what she was doing, she had to ask herself again and again if offense was indeed the best defense. Was making her allies scared enough to not even dream of turning against her the best plan of action? She brushed the thoughts away, having more pressing matters to discuss.

"Where can I find such an object?"

"You can make one, but that would take a lot of work and _sacrifice_-" Maleficent told her, her eyes bore a seriousness that made Regina want to cross out having to corrupt an object herself, "I corrupted the needle myself and it's taken its toll on me, the sacrifice I made to achieve it cost me dearly." She was not looking at Regina but at the heavy velvet curtains.

"Someone like the Dark One most certainly possesses something like it-" Regina asked, not resisting to wonder what was it that Maleficent had to sacrifice in order to have her revenge.

"Oh yes-" she took another gulp of wine, "-the man itself could be one, he's pure viciousness," she added with distaste.

"You're right," Regina agreed but she could not help but think of the blue-eyed dove she had locked up in one of her prison towers, one that had seen more to the Dark One than pure viciousness. She quickly brushed the notion away, thinking back at her training and what that man, that _thing_, had done to her.

"You could try sending your thief there to steal it-" Maleficent suggested, bringing Regina's attention back to her, she had been starting at a goblet of wine she had conjured for herself.

"Oh?" both Regina's eyebrows shot up with interest, considering the idea.

"Although, if he gets caught-" Maleficent added, "-you might want to start looking for a new pet."

"He's not-" Regina started, but stopped when she realized what she was about to say, and quickly added, "There must be another way."

Maleficent brought her goblet to her lips and regarded Regina for a beat before sipping from it one more time, she then placed it on the floor next to her feet, and brought her gaze back to Regina.

"There is," she stated simply.

"Yes?"

"You know about the Blind Witch?" the blonde asked.

"Of course, why would she have anything to do with it?" Regina's patience was starting to run thin, _maybe she needed more wine_. She refilled her goblet.

"What do you know about her?" Maleficent's question sounded serious.

"That she is a crazy person who uses her powers in order to eat children" Regina replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "It rather amazes me that with someone like _her_ in our forest people dare and call _me_ evil. I don't eat children for breakfast."

"Just the captain of your personal guard," Maleficent added with a grin.

"Do not be daft Maleficent-" Regina tried to brush her friend's comment off, "He's the only one doing _any_ work."

"Right," Maleficent wiggled her eyebrows once, clearly unconvinced.

Regina groaned, she wanted to get off the stupid subject that was _him_, "What about that crazy bat?"

"She wasn't always crazy, you know?" Maleficent gave her, "Even had a name too-"

"Oh? What happened then?" Regina asked half interested.

"What else?" Maleficent huffed, "She fell in love,"

_Love is weakness Regina, _she could hear the woman who had ruined her life speak.

"Tell me" Regina spoke simply.

"Well, a long, long time ago, she was neither a witch nor blind, she was just an ordinary young woman named Rapunzel. Her mother however, now, _she_ was a witch alright, the Blue Witch, you might have heard of her?"

"Yes," Regina confirmed, "But she died such-"

"Indeed, this Blind Witch has a much more complicated story than you think, dear, this is no simple cannibalism story." Maleficent told her, "Now, the Blue Witch was rather overprotective, she thought her daughter far too fragile for the evils of this world, so she kept her locked away in a tall tower, the only way in was through a window high above, there was no other entrance.

"But the little girl grew up to become a beautiful young woman and for some reason had stopped cutting her hair, in no time her mother did not need to transport herself with magic to their home but simply climb her daughter's long blonde hair." She stopped when Regina let out a yawn.

"Oh I'm sorry, but this is getting truly dull dear, is there a point in this?" Regina complained unimpressed with the story.

"One day, someone else decided to climb the girl's hair," Maleficent continued, ignoring Regina's comment, "It was a Prince and well, they fell in love and all that nonsense."

"And?" Regina adjusted her position in the chaise feeling a little uneasy all of the sudden.

"The Blue Witch caught them one day, and was not in any way pleased. She did not ask any questions before she sent the young man flying out of the window, even though her daughter screamed that she loved him."

_It feels real now, at the start it always does, but it's an illusion, it fades, _Cora's voice hit her senses once more as if she was in the room with them.

"I guess something flipped in the girl's mind because in her despair she threw herself out of the window after her clearly dead lover." Maleficent's voice continued, "But she didn't die, her mother was able to pull her hair at the last minute, making her fall not as deadly as her Prince's. When she started pulling Rapunzel back up again, that was when the first flicker of her magic manifested, she was able to cut off her hair and free herself from her mother." Regina was now listening to the tale attentively, finding it oddly similar to her own story somehow, "She yelled back at her mother that she never wanted to see her again, that she hated her, and well, the Blue Witch had a temper."

"What did she do?" Regina found herself asking.

"She screamed back that if the girl never wanted to see her again, she would never see anything ever again and made the rosebushes grow into some manner of monster and blinded Rapunzel with the thorns." Maleficent retold her in a monotone, "Not only that, but she also banished her to a horrendous swamp, not knowing that Rapunzel was with child." Maleficent had tried to keep her voice unfeeling but it broke at the very last word.

Regina could only gasp in response thinking of the awful things that had happened to her because of love.

"At first she persevered," Maleficent continued, "Probably because of the growing life inside her, it gave her strength to make do with what she had and make the closest thing to a home she could manage in her condition at the swamp. But in her blind condition and solitude, Rapunzel was not able to carry through until the end of the pregnancy." The woman's words were grave and heavy, "The baby came too soon, it was too little, too frail and could not withstand the venomous atmosphere of the swap and it died in Rapunzel's arms."

"I-" Regina could not find her words, she felt awful, little did she know that the tale was only bound to get worse.

Regardless of her attempts to hide her emotions, Regina could see Maleficent was affected by the tale she was telling. Indeed, one would truly need to be heartless in order to take in such a story coldly.

_Bet mother would have said she very well deserved what she got_, Regina mussed bitterly.

There was a grave moment of silence before Maleficent continued, "The devastation and loneliness took over Rapunzel's sanity and after being exposed to magic for so long because of her witch mother, she started developing powers of her own. With that she managed to crawl out of the swamp and into the daylight, but never would she see it again."

The blonde took a long intake of breath and went on, "The price to that power, however, was her sanity." She had been staring at her lap for some time and now brought her eyes back to Regina, "She went raving mad." Maleficent licked her lips, Regina could swear there was a little moist gathering up on the corner of her friend's eyes, "Her maddest belief being that if she _ate_ children, they would grow to become her baby inside her belly and she could finally have her child back, the only thing that remained from her dead love."

_And then you're left with nothing but power, true power endures and then you don't have to rely on anyone to get what you want. _Her mother's speech sounded as vile and cruel as ever but it hit a truthful note in this particular tale, Regina could not help but nod and close her eyes when the words died out.

"So that's why-" she found her voice, "-she has that ridiculous gingerbread house in the middle of my forest?" it was all Regina could ask.

"Yes" Maleficent whispered, "She wants to be reunited with her child,"

_I have saved you my love._ Her mother's voice rang one last time.

Regina swallowed hard and met Maleficent's gaze, she tried to pull back all her emotions, but she felt downright sick. The recollection of her mother's speech just after she had crushed the life out of Daniel combined with this awful tale made Regina's bile rise up.

But she had had enough of feeling diminished and fragile around that woman, so she took a deep breath and managed to swallow her uneasiness and said, "I hope you did not tell me all this in order to make me feel nauseated."

"Of course not," the blonde responded, "_She_ has a vessel,"

"That mad woman managed to make a vessel?" Regina inquired, managing to keep her emotions at bay.

"Her mother did," Maleficent informed her, "She actually managed to grow a tree of vessels, it was unfortunately destroyed long ago by a giant, but one single fruit remains."

"And it's inside her sticky house?" Regina inquired, suddenly feeling excited.

"Yes, inside a satchel."

"What is it?"

"An apple"

…

**So… what do you think?**


	17. Soft Spot

**This was the most draining thing I have ever written, and with that said, there's a trigger alert for mild cannibalism (really mild, but gross all the same) and another for extreme feels ahead. **

**Thank you so much Bea, you're an angel and I'm sorry for making you cry at 3:20 in the morning and also for my beautiful Zoe who beta-ed this for me and had to read it oh so many times and cry, again and again.**

…

_Cold._

Freezing cold dominated Robin's world. Of course, he was more than used to this sensation by now, this had not been the first, nor the second time that mad woman had thrown him head first inside the river closest to the castle.

Although this time, it was fairly easy for Robin to swiftly swim his way to the surface, and give his lungs the oxygen they had been screaming for. _That_ was due to the fact that he was stark naked, and had no clothes, no weapons and no boots to pull him down, nothing whatsoever to weigh his attempts to surface. Robin quickly swam towards the edge of the river, shivering all over when his a-few-moments-ago-hot-and-bothered body was hit by a gush of chilly air.

He cursed the Queen, but that was something he did daily, nothing new. Although he had to admit that _this time_ she did have a reason to have acted the way she did.

Robin had been so caught up in finally getting to touch, fuck and ravish the Queen again that it took him a few seconds to realize she had stopped moving altogether atop of him. Before he knew it, her body warmth left him and Robin could do nothing except sit up, and survey the room with his eyes, looking for the location of that damned letter opener, because he was going to gut the person who had interrupted them with it.

All plans of mutilation disappeared when he laid his eyes on said person, _Maleficent_. He knew her, he wished he did not, – Robin still regretted having trusted Will Scarlet on that, he had put not only himself, but the entire camp at risk – but he did. That woman was dangerous; he remembered how she had almost set fire to his entire camp without even being at their presence on the occasion.

Robin had actually found it odd that the blonde sorceress was scrutinizing him with such interest, he recalled she had been irate when he had gone back to her castle – under the threat that she would incinerate the lot of them if he didn't – to try to reason with her about the looking glass. He had sworn it to her that he would find it, another promise broken by the noble Robin Hood.

But this situation he found himself in was _different_, her manner was somewhat all wrong! He had to remind himself that he had been wearing nearly nothing but a throbbing erection, unlike the last time he had seen the woman – she had amusement and thorough interest dancing about her eyes. Robin imagined the Queen would immediately engage in some sort of magical battle with the woman, but all they did was banter, and before he knew it, he was the subject of said discussion.

Of course she wanted the damned looking glass – he was going to kill Will Scarlet if he ever saw the sodding man again – but then something rather unexpected happened. Suddenly, Robin was being engulfed by a cloud of smoke, and the next thing he saw were the she-dragon's vibrant and hungry eyes right in front of him.

Robin was not one to turn down women's advances - he had actually always preferred the fiery ones who had beat him to it, and pounced on him first - especially one as beautiful as Maleficent, but as soon as her finger touched his lips he felt disgust, he felt like he wanted to put miles in between himself and that witch.

He would be lying if he said he was not flattered by the idea that such a powerful and gorgeous woman wanted him, but there was something off, for another powerful and gorgeous woman's voice rung behind him and Robin could not fathom being with any other but her.

That moment was shortly lived, for suddenly he was being pulled back, and thrown back where he had been sitting in the first place, next to the powerful and gorgeous woman who had literally taken his heart.

Regardless of his clouded feelings towards the woman, Robin did _not_ like to be handled that way. He had loathed having magic used on him with or without his consent, but being tossed from side to side by the pair of them, as if he was a chess piece in their little power game… _That_ had made him furious. Miraculously so, somehow, Robin had found it in him not to be angry with the Queen, for the words that left Maleficent's lips managed to steal away all of his anger's attention, Robin was _no_ toy, he was-

Robin, however, had not even had time to finish that thought for a question erupted from the blonde's lips, and Robin felt something switch inside him, "Dear, are you jealous?"

"Territorial, that's all."

_SHE WAS JEALOUS!?_

Something different started to bloom inside Robin's chest, which he found ridiculous for there was no heart there to create any emotion but, alas, he had been feeling way too much ever since he had met the unnerving woman. An odd sense of pride and a wee little bit of happiness in knowing he was somewhat reciprocated in his less than healthy feelings towards her.

He could not resist but slur in her ear, "Is that so?" and was proud to see gooseflesh rising all over her glorious, naked body.

Before he knew it, he was being pulled back towards Maleficent, but this time, Robin had a plan in mind and did not jerk away from the woman's touch.

Robin was resolute in giving the Queen a nice taste of her own medicine; he remembered her with that pathetic looking, red haired lad. Even if making her jealous of him was practically a suicidal mission, he could not resist but provoke her. Robin just hoped she did not lose her head, like he had, and start shooting fireballs his way.

He let the woman push off his shirt, revealing his whole naked front to her, she touched his chest and took a small intake of air. He felt his stomach flip, he felt sick, her skin was cold and Robin could swear he could feel a hint of dragon scale on the tips of her fingers. But even if he could not see the Queen at that moment, he could somehow feel her absolute rage at what was transpiring between him and her 'friend'.

Robin was not really surprised that the she-dragon's hand was not able to continue its dangerous path down his torso, for the magic dominated his world once more. But this time, he could feel it was not only the Queen's magic that was at play; there was yet another silent battle of power there whilst the she-dragon's sorcery also fought to keep him in place.

The result did not please Robin very much, he found out that the ceiling was rather cold, being that both his butt-cheeks were now attached to it.

Robin was stunned to hear the blonde witch refer to the Queen as 'little dove', she could be a vast amount of things but a wee bird was not one of them. He, again, had very little time to ponder upon when would be the perfect moment for him to call her by that _endearing_ pet name, for before he knew it, his feet touched the carpeted floor once more.

When the blonde witch spoke of that unnerving red haired lad, Robin did not know if he was angered or perplexed. Things happened far too fast for his brain to process what was being revealed in that banter between the two witches.

The Queen was clearly very offended by the fact that his erection had not budged from its stiff state, but Robin was actually making an extra effort to keep it that way, all that magic being used on him should have made him as flaccid as Merlin's balls ages ago. A strange thrill coursed through Robin's veins whilst he watched the she-dragon once again question the Queen about her being jealous, and he could not resist it, maybe some manner of suicidal demon possessed at that point because his lips were twitching in a smirk, and his voice was sounding, "There's enough Robin for everyone."

At that moment, after having uttered such words in the Queen's presence, Robin knew that the very least she could do was give him the usual trip to the cold waters of the river nearby.

Robin was actually grateful that he wasn't wrong, although now that it came to it, standing at the river bank, with very little choice but to wander around naked until he could think of a way to sneak into the castle without having half of the staff seeing his privates, did not seem very enjoyable. Especially since the bright sunny weather that had reigned only that morning had disappeared completely, giving way to a cloudy, windy and cold climate, in which no one should get caught walking naked and wet in.

As fate would have it, Robin did not even need to take ten steps before he came by an unfortunate soul. In this case two rather familiar figures that walked side by side completely oblivious of his presence, Dominic and Billy, the two young lads he had become acquainted with a few months ago when he first came to be in the service of the Queen. Now it seemed as if it was a lifetime ago when Robin had daydreamed about snapping both their necks simultaneously because of their incessant laughter and the way they had spoken about _her_.

Robin started to make his way towards the pair, unaffected by the fact that he was stark naked, he had never been self-conscious about his figure, Robin actually knew the boys would be pretty intimidated by his assets, their balls probably hadn't even dropped yet. Before long, as he got closer and closer, he could see the expressions on both their faces twist into something rather comical.

Dominic ran for it, quite simply left his 'patrol brother' to fare for himself as Robin approached. Billy on the other hand seemed to have frozen in shock, his eyes were wide staring at Robin and his hands were trembling slightly.

As Robin got closer and closer, he pondered upon what exactly he was going to do, would he sate a little of his blood lust and kill the poor sod? Would he simply knock the lad over the head and be done with it? Would he scare him half to death before doing one of the above?

When Robin was close enough to speak to the young man - who had turned practically as white as the princess he had once lusted after - Robin huffed a laugh upon seeing the clear dread pooling inside the lad's eyes.

"Still _patrolling_ I see," Robin stated.

Billy simply swallowed and took in a large intake of breath. Robin waited another beat for the lad to respond, but that was clearly not going to happen.

"Lost your tongue, have you?" Robin commented with a little bit of humor, "I can't say I'm disappointed, your voice was _quite_ annoying."

The lad seemed to be shrinking even though he was still standing his ground, Robin had to wonder how much more would it take for Billy piss his pants. Robin had to remind himself he needed those pants clean and preferably dry.

"Well?" Robin tried once more looking at the lad expecting at least a word out of him.

It took a few more moments but Billy's annoying voice sounded, timid and afraid, "I-" he tried, "Sir-"

Robin grinned and started to move again, analyzing the boy, he had grown a little over the past few months, there was a wee bit of dark blonde stubble his chin but his features remained boyish.

"That wasn't so hard now, was it?" Robin crossed his arms, regarding the young man.

"Sir, please-" the boy suddenly broke, "don't kill me, I-"

Robin _really_ wanted to kill him, it had been months since he had killed out of his own desire, and this opportunity was far too irresistible. The begging made him an even more delectable victim to end.

"You what?" Robin huffed right beside him dangerously, "Why shouldn't I end your miserable existence?"

"I, I, I," the lad stuttered and it was pathetic, completely unworthy of even being part of any brotherhood, he was not even trying, whilst Robin was naked and unarmed, the young man had a dagger on his belt and clothes on his back, "Please, just-" he stopped again and let out a small sob and Robin was practically sobbing himself at the ridiculousness of this situation.

Billy kept his eyes on the ground, and hands clutched together, as if he was praying for divine intervention, he spoke again, "I did not mean the things I said about, about-"

"About who?" Robin's voice suddenly rose, he became interested in what this boy had to say.

"About-" the sodding lad paused again and swallowed, "-her majesty." It was as if he had dropped a stone on Robin's foot, he went on rapidly after that, "I did not know you were-"

"I was what?" Robin still could not decide if he would end this worm or not, but this conversation was making him more agitated than normal.

"That you and _her_-" he swallowed, seemingly afraid to continue, "I did not know you were her-"

_Robin had had it_

He knocked the young lad over the head before he could continue his statement. Robin did not want to know what others whispered behind his back, but damn her if they called him her _toy_ like that sodding she-dragon just had, as if he was simply a piece of meat that got to fuck the Queen at her leisure. Although a portion of his mind told him that that was exactly his role, Robin could not believe it, would not believe it, it had to be something more, it was far too intense, far too damaging, far too unforgettable for it to be a simple affair.

There was a connection, he could feel it, he dared to think that his connection to the Queen was fairly similar to the one the Prince shared with the brat Snow White. And he _knew_ she felt it too, she _must_ have felt it too, otherwise he would have been buried six feet under the first time he grabbed her without her ordering him to do so.

Robin tried to brush those thoughts aside, and regarded the now passed out young man lying on the ground at his feet. He quickly stole the lad's trousers and shirt leaving him completely naked, even though Robin himself was not going to wear all of the garbs he had collected. Robin discarded of the unwanted things in the river, if the lad wanted those, he would have to work for it, or in this case, swim for it, it would serve the young lad a lesson and-

_Aren't you going to end him?_ A dark voice whispered, _He's simply a worm you can step onto and obliterate from existence, __**do it**__!_

Robin stopped just as he was getting back from getting rid of the other items. Why hadn't he killed the lad already? Why was he literally playing a prank on him that brought him back to the old days with his Merry Men? He was not a merciful man, life had not had mercy on him, and so he had decided he would have mercy with no one.

He took certain and strong steps towards the young lad lying unconscious on the ground, his mind rushed with the possibilities of how he would do it. How he would kill this unworthy, little piece of shi-

"Laura-" left the young lad's lips almost like a prayer, and Robin stopped dead to regard him. Only then did Robin realize the young sod was shivering, his pale skin turned almost transparent white and his lips lost all rosy color. His breathing was labored but he still had his eyes closed, was probably still unconscious, but Robin could make out the name for he said it once more, "Laura, I'm-" he groaned and finished, "Laura!"

The young man's uneven breathing suddenly ceased, his chest stopped moving altogether, and in a moment of panic, Robin kneeled down and tried to feel for his pulse.

_He had not done anything yet, how come the lad had just-?_

Well, he had knocked him over the head, but one had to be made of plaster to actually die from such a blow. There was a small, almost untraceable pulse on the young man's neck, but it was subsiding by the second.

Suddenly a feeling so very alien invaded his chest. He was not in the presence of the Queen so he found it quite odd to be overwhelmed by this feeling so strongly. He did not want to admit he was feeling guilty, for it made no sense, _he was going to kill the lad anyway_.

His hand still rested on the young man's neck when Robin felt the impossible, a strange warmth emanating from the spot the touched Billy. His pulse suddenly started to grow gradually as Robin stared dumbfounded at his fingers that touched the young man's skin until the lad coughed for air, which made Robin shoot back to his feet, startled at what he saw.

_What the fuck?_

The young man started to groan and move his body around the earthy ground, his breathing was clearly healthy once more.

Robin had had enough uncommon things happen to him that day, so he walked away. He walked away from the young man not knowing if leaving him out there in that condition was going to result in his death or not. But somehow unable to end the sodding shit himself.

He tried not to think about it, he was probably just tired, taking a life drained him a lot.

And yet, he knew that there was something else that had meddled with his will, he just did not know what.

…

Robin had been able to walk into the castle with a fair amount of dignity, and even though he was technically still on duty, even though the sun had just set a few moments ago, he sent the Queen to hell and went back to his bedchambers. Peeling the clothes belonging to Billy from his body and throwing them out of the window for good measure, Robin put on a pair of his own saggy trousers.

_Sod her_, was the last thing that went through his mind before sleep took him over.

Unfortunately, Robin felt as if he had slept for only one solid minute when a timid knock came on the door. He groaned and turned to the side, his naked back now facing the door, and refused to acknowledge the sound altogether, his only intentions being to be taken away by sleep once more.

After a few moments, his ears picked out the knocking on his door again, but this time a little bit louder, and Robin, most reluctantly, opened his eyes.

It was morning already, the fact was rather obvious for he could see thin strips of sunlight coming from the drawn curtains, but that did not mean that he was in any way ready to get out of the comfort of his bed.

_How had he even come to this? _

A few months ago he was quite content to be sleeping on top of a pile of leaves and now, he had turned into some matter of a lazy ass, who killed for the Queen's sport, he-

"Excuse me, sir-" a timid voice drew his from those unnecessary musings.

Robin turned to face the door, and was met with the sight of that pretty, young woman with the nice behind he had thought of fucking more than one time. He groaned in response and she opened the door a little further, making day-light invade his room, and illuminate it enough for her to see him, and immediately she turned her head to the side, avoiding the sight of his person with all the fiber in her petit little body. He was confused for a moment but then, upon a small inspection, he realized he was naked from the waist up, and that had apparently been enough to traumatize the young thing.

"The Queen demands your presence in the throne room, sir," her voice sounded again and he could almost feel her fear even though he could not see her face very well, for her voice trembled.

The Queen _demanded_, now, did she?

Well, Robin was not feeling like obeying much today, so he turned himself to the other side, and dismissed the girl uttering, "Tell the Queen she can fuck herself today,-" he heard the girl gasp, no big surprise there, "And close that damn door will you!"

Robin was sick and tired, he wanted to sleep, and he did not give two shits about the Queen's demands at that moment, a small voice still sang at the back of his head about how the whole 'pet' thing still bothered him more than he cared to admit.

He was grateful that the girl complied with his very rude request and left, closing the door behind her. He had to wonder if she would deliver the message without any alterations, probably not, she most certainly valued her life more than he did his.

It might have been foolish, even naive, of Robin to think that he was indeed going to get any well-deserved rest that morning, especially given the words he had used to dismiss the Queen's orders. He did get about five minutes more of peace, lying on his back, slowly becoming aware of the fact that he had woken up in full alert below the belt – maybe the young thing had seen that too as well as his bare chest. Robin decided that, since he was to have a lazy morning, he would take care of it the old-fashioned way.

He slid his hand inside his pants, took himself in hand, and pumped lazily for a little bit. He groaned at the pleasurable feeling of his own touch, and tried with all his might not to imagine that it was the Queen's mouth instead of his hand at work down below, he failed miserably. He let out a rather loud moan at the very same moment that the door flew.

It did not fly open; it literally flew.

With a loud explosion, the door was yanked of its hinges, and Robin saw the sturdy piece of wood be thrown violently against the wall that faced it. It could hardly be called a door after that, but simply a pile of wood, still smoking with magic.

Light invaded the room through the hole where his door had once been, and Robin's only reaction was to protect his eyes and groan. He turned to the illuminated side, slowly bringing his forearm away from his eyes and sitting up, and was met with the sight of a rather odd silhouette. He was sure that it was _her_ – he could somehow feel her dark energy, plus, who else had the capacity of administrating _that_ kind of damage to an innocent door? - but her outline looked slightly off.

Robin didn't have too much time to concentrate on the odd garments she wore that created such a sight, for before he could utter a single word, the heavy curtains that protected the room from daylight were ripped off, and thrown directly at him.

Robin fell back onto the bed with a noisy exhale of air for the curtains were quite heavy; - an ancient manner of velvet - he inhaled, and a considerable amount of dust invaded his system making Robin cough. He heard her heels clicking on the wooden floor as he fought to rid himself of the heavy velvet that trapped him.

When he was able to free his head from the curtains, he was met with the sight of _her_ standing at the foot of his bed, hands on her hips, facial expression not of one who was very pleased. And yet, he could not hold back a smile, that quickly morphed into a laugh, followed by a couple of coughs – the damn dust kept emanating from the damn curtains – as he tried to free his legs from the curtains.

During his entire attempt, - damn her if she had enchanted those damned drapes, making it impossible for Robin to rid himself of their prison - he continued to chuckle, tears starting to pool in his eyes at the sight. The laughter, punctuated by a few coughs, was freeing. Her face twisted in confusion as she watched him try to free himself in the midst of his merriment.

"I fail to find anything funny about this situation," her voice rang grave.

Robin coughed once more, and was finally able to throw the curtains away. He quickly turned to the side and placed his feet on the cold floor, during that whole time he never took his eyes from her, smirk intact on his lips. When he was finally on his feet, standing by the bed clad only in his sleeping trousers, he scrutinized her from head to toe once more.

"Well you have not had a chance to look in the mirror this morning then?" he gave her, still astounded that she would wear such a ridiculous thing on her head.

The Queen's features twisted in anger as she fisted both her hands beside her body, but Robin could not help but let out another laugh, her choice of attire made it quite difficult for him to keep a straight face. Not that he was complaining about the deliciously tight, black leather that covered her legs, but from the waist up, she looked rather comical. She was wearing some manner of leather cape that surrounded her shoulders and draped down to her front, coming to stop right underneath her breasts. But the thing had no shape, or rather, it had an odd square shape that made her shoulders look broader than they truly were.

Her manic hairstyle – the puffed out, volumised curls tossed about her right shoulder – was topped by the most pathetic hat he had ever seen; its size was no rival to her hair but the black, embroidered thing had several feathers stuck to it to top it all off.

Robin couldn't help but muse that her entire outfit looked downright ridiculous.

She took a few steps and came to stand directly in front of him, a couple of paces remained in between their frames, and her eyes were dangerous and puzzled - as if she did have an idea of what he was laughing but still was not quite sure. Unfortunately, her hat was too much and somewhat distracted Robin from her anger and the imminent danger his humor had put him in.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, a small streak of curiosity on her side ignited him to speak his mind.

"Oh, I wouldn't _dream_ to speak of it_, your majesty_" he delivered in a forced, posh way.

Her expression changed then, she squinted and beheld him with suspicion, "I would very much like to know the reason for this-" she gesticulated with her hands whilst she spoke, "-sudden _happiness,_" the way she uttered the word 'happiness', sounded as if she despised the very idea of ever being happy.

"As I am sure you are well aware, your majesty, men in general normally wake up _happy_," he wiggled his eyebrows and wondered if she was going to burn all his hair or set his pants on fire for that comment.

The Queen looked down, saw the evidence of his 'morning merriment', and scoffed.

"Were you laughing at your small number of resources to alleviate said happiness?" It was now the Queen's turn to liberate a laugh herself.

Robin felt a small knock at his ego but responded to her at the same level, not letting it show "No actually-" he placed two fingers about his lips in order to hide his grin a little, "-I merely thought Queens wore crowns, not jester hats."

Somehow, the slap she gave him across the face did not come as a surprise at all. It was strong, sharp, and filled with frustration and anger, he had to admit, he rather deserved it; he was being a jerk. But the heart of the matter was; he really didn't care.

Robin's grin faded from his lips as he felt the hit burn on his skin, as if her hand had imprinted itself on his cheek. He ran his tongue about the inside of the marred cheek, and turned back to face her, no humor left in his features. Apparently being hit across the face before he even had a chance to get a morning piss had plummeted his high spirits.

"How dare you speak to me like that?" her voice was quiet but grave, she was somehow closer now, her eyes carried so much and yet Robin felt as if they were a puzzle to unravel, for he could not believe there was hurt swimming on her brown orbs, it must have been a trick.

"What?" he hissed at her, his head coming even closer so she could practically feel his breath on her face when he continued, "Am I the only person in this entire castle brave enough to say the truth?" Robin made sure to pour out every ounce of frustration he had been feelings towards her in that sentence, he was _sick_ and tired, he would-

"_You're nothing_" she spat at him; her voice was somewhat hoarse and trembled slightly but both words rung loud and clear.

Those two words stung more than any slap, they hit deeper than the arrow that had marked his shoulder forever. He was actually quite surprised that a simple set of words would ignite such a turmoil of feelings in him. But those particular words cut _deep_.

Was he really _nothing_? She _had_ to be lying. She had to be-

After everything that had happened over the past months, and all of a sudden, he was nothing to her? _She-_ That woman had turned his life upside down. She had taken away his angst for having been responsible for the death of his family only to give him a shit load of feelings of a completely different nature, that were as intense as the previous ones, if not worse.

Robin refused to believe that she did not feel the odd electricity when they touched. There was something inexplicable about that connection they shared, about the fact that he could read her so well, and that she was able to get to him like this, so deeply, and bruise so unbelievably much.

When Robin first saw the Queen, he was met with the color red for the very first time ever since it had tainted Marian's dress on her deathbed.

And now, Robin felt a sudden surge of red dominated his sanity, an incontrollable rage towards her ruled over his judgement.

Those words just could not be true.

Robin's world was a pool of crimson, he could barely tell what was what at that point. He could only see _her_, that sensual Goddess painted all in tones of red, her face was a blur but her silhouette was perfection, her alluring presence somewhat mocking him after her harsh words.

Something inside Robin snapped and his right hand suddenly found itself wrapped about the woman's throat, the wild buzzing of their skins now seemed to taunt Robin, and tell him he was weak and foolish because of it, because he _felt_ for her and he was nothing _to_ her.

He was _literally_ a heartless man.

He had _no_ mercy, never had had, not after what had happened to Marian. So why should him let that woman treat him like a possession? Like a _toy_. Like he was _nothing._

He was _no_ pet.

The recollection of another witch's voice saying so brought a new wave of hate to the very foundations of his soul. Robin squeezed the Queen's throat, cutting off her air supply and feeling his blood pump fast and cold about his veins.

_No more_. That woman had no limits, but as fate would have it, neither did he.

Her face was still a blur, he could only make out the faint noises she was making in order to pull in air through her mouth, and failing at it miserably since he was much stronger. Her hands had not reached for his single one which clutched her throat, but rather her arms stayed limp at her sides.

_He was no one's pet, he would show her, she was not going to- _

_She was his-_

Suddenly, when Robin felt wetness on his working hand, his whole world turned to its usual black and white with hints of red and brown here and there once more. He quickly realized that the moistness on his skin was in fact a single tear that the woman he had been strangling produced. His grip loosened at the very next moment, as Robin caught his breath, he apparently had not been breathing during the whole exchange either. He stared back at her face, now clear as day, and marvelled as the colors slowly came back to his reality; a beautiful chocolate brown took over her eyes, whilst red dominated her lips, the rest remained in shades of grey, as always.

She stared him down with an inexplicable something in her eyes for a moment – he could feel she was still not breathing - before she took in her first breath, eyes widening. They carried a strange amount of something Robin could only class as fear, but he could hardly believe such a feeling ever even crossed this particular woman's mind.

As she pulled in more air, coughing a little as she did so, his hand sliding down to simply rest in between the base of her neck and her collarbone. He was rather surprised she did not brush his hand aside or burn him alive when her breathing evened. She had diverted her stare from him for a few moments whilst taking in the air her body screamed for, but now she simply regarded him with an odd something about her.

He took her in, looked right back at her mesmerizing brown eyes as his wheels inside his head started working again and he became aware of what he had almost done. The buzz was ever present where his skin met hers, and it now only served to remind Robin he had almost eliminated the source of the only thing that had made him feel alive. He did not dare to break the somewhat small contact of their flesh, fearing she would never let him near her again after this.

"I may work for you-" he somehow found his voice, it was raspy and low, "-but I am _not_ your pet,"

Her expression still had not changed, she looked a bit out of her element, maybe a little vulnerable as she only whispered a reply, "I never said that,"

Realization hit Robin hard. She had not once referred to him with such a term, now that he thought about it. _She_ had called that red haired lad her _pet_, but the word had only been used by the blonde witch when it came to Robin.

For a few moments, neither of them spoke, Robin's hand was still placed on her collarbone as he wondered why she had not stopped him before; she had the most powerful magic he had ever seen, and yet, had let him almost kill her. Oh how she could amaze him time and time again with her nearing to suicidal attitudes.

Her breathing regained normality, and it seemed as if the only thing Robin's ears could pick up on was the quiet sound of her inhaling and exhaling. His eyes were fixated on his hand, and he suddenly felt himself incapable of meeting her eye. He could still feel a little bit of the anger there, but somehow repented immensely what that anger had made him do.

Robin's hand started to slide up, up her neck – which now carried red marks caused by him – he watched the journey intensively, his hand finding rest on her jawline. He finally met her eye, and her deep, brown orbs stared back at him, slightly reddened but nevertheless penetrating.

Their strange connection felt more intense than ever at this point, her lips were slightly parted, but it was clear she was not going to say anything. Robin opened his own in order to say something, but found no words whatsoever left his lips, her intense stare paralyzed his speaking ability, and all he could do was pray she wouldn't leave.

Electricity flowed about the palm of his hand as it cupped her flushed cheek, his mind racing with thoughts of how he had almost-

But he couldn't have gone through with it, could he? At the time he could barely see her face, it was as if he was killing something else, not her, but maybe something dark inside himself. The dark impulses of his new life had made him blind, had made him almost-

Robin was brought from his thoughts back into reality when he heard the woman before him sigh and realized he had been stroking her cheek with his thumb, ever so lightly. Acting completely out of instinct, Robin brought his hand down to her chin and tilted it up ever so slightly. He subconsciously wet his bottom lip, which immediately brought her mesmerizing gaze to his mouth.

Robin had to admit he was rather surprised when he felt her soft lips crash against his, she was so fast that he had almost missed the moment, but now their lips were locked together, the electricity of their touch completely tantalizing and wonderful. He could hear her moan quietly against him, but her arms still hung at her sides whilst his own had found their way to the back of her neck.

The ridiculous hat was the first thing to go; when she finally parted her succulent lips, Robin deepened the kiss, bringing his hands to tangle in her black curls. Her own set of hands came to life once more, and were suddenly on his bare arms, running up, feeling the muscles of his upper arm, and finding his neck so she could pull him closer. It was as if she had suddenly gone back to her old, dominant self, wanting to have control over the situation as she spun them around and took a few steps forward until the back of his knees touched the edge of the bed.

The kisses were mind swirling, they were not the type of desperate he was accustomed to when it came to her, but they were hungry, famished.

_Oh, it _had_ been far too long,_ Robin thought as she pressed her far too clothed body against his barely clad one.

Their lips parted only for her mouth to start trailing a path of red lip coloring on his neck, collarbone and back up to his jawline where she started to suck with vigor as Robin could do very little apart from pulling the black tresses tangled about his fingers and groan. Her tongue swirling over his pulse point after she had bit him there rather hungrily made his sight go blurry.

One of Robin's hands left her hair and started to trail its way down her body, passing by all those atrocious fabrics and leathers she insisted on wearing, until he reached her sex. It was still very much covered but Robin felt the woman moan against the skin of his neck when his fingers worked pressure on the area, her hips bucking in the direction of his working hand almost instantly.

He touched her again, his fingers curling and pressuring down her sensitive parts, and she apparently gave up in trying to mark his neck purple, using one of her hands that rested on the back of his neck to bring him slightly down, so she could hiss against the shell of his ear a satisfied '_Yes'_, opening her legs a little further to give him more access.

Robin complied and continued to stroke her through the heavy material of her leather pants, which earned him a couple more hot moans hitting his ear. and a maddening lick right behind it. She bit down then, which only encouraged Robin to touch her with more eagerness down there.

It was when she nibbled on his earlobe that a male voice informed them they were not alone anymore.

"Your majesty-!" Robin turned his head to the door only to catch sight of one of the men under his command, standing where his door had once been looking slightly breathless.

When the cold, grey eyes belonging to the guard actually captured what was transpiring inside the bedroom, he immediately averted his gaze and mumbled, "Apologies your majesty," he bowed his head towards the Queen and turned it to Robin still not really looking at the pair, "Sir-" he nodded his head slightly in acknowledgement of Robin and continued, "-I, I heard a scream and thought, well I didn't think, I just-"

"That's enough" the Queen's voice was once again cold and commanding, her body was suddenly not glued to Robin's anymore, "get out of my sight, and see to it that my carriage is ready."

She did not need to tell him twice, for the guard was quickly out of their sight after bowing his head a little in respect to the flushed but stone-like Queen. Unfortunately, she pushed at his chest instead of continuing their prior activities.

"Put something on and meet me in the Northern woods-" she told him whilst she took a few steps back and headed towards the whole that was now the welcoming entrance to Robin's room, "-I want to see you at the well by the main road when I get there."

And with that, she left.

…

Robin knew he had to be quick if he was to meet her on the spot she had mentioned; for all he knew, she was already on her way whilst he was still buttoning up his vest. He was rather annoyed by the fact that there was no door in his bedroom to give him the slight amount of privacy that changing clothes demanded, but regardless, he stripped and put on his usual garb and was out of the hole on his wall in no time.

After running to the stables and he collected one of the fastest horses there, Robin could see the steed was pitch black, but the stable's hands had commented on how his fur was so dark that against the sunlight it was tinged with dark blue. But Robin was unable to see that quality on the beast's mane since color had left his reality ever since he had lost Marian. The vivacity of color was being brought back little by little ever since he had first set eyes on the Queen. He could see the red on her lips and the brown in her eyes, but as for the other colors, they remained a mystery, still disguised by shades of grey.

Brushing those more than depressing and thoroughly confusing thoughts aside, Robin set out on a speedy trot north.

The Northern wood was an odd place to meet. Although the name spoke of North, it was not nearly high enough to be considered so; it was still inside the borders of her kingdom, but, from what Robin had learnt in his years in the forest and at her castle, a rather deserted place. He had never ventured in such parts with his Merry Men, since it was mainly empty; there were no royals to steal from and no peasants to aid. He had also been told by many to never make use of its roads, for the woods were dense, and there was rumored to be something lurking about the trees that was not quite human and not at all friendly. Some manner of dark magic that people from the nearby villages would never speak of, so Robin now, had no idea what he was in for.

It took him about an hour to reach the well, he was already picturing the Queen with her puffy hair – and no hat, for that had been left discarded on the floor of his bedroom. He had taken it and stored it inside his dresser, as an odd souvenir – and mad eyes, screaming something or other at him about being late and a thief. But to his utter surprise the well was completely deserted when he arrived.

_So much for nothing_, he thought as he took out a rope and attached it to the horse's saddle. He then tied the rope around the tree to make sure the beast would not run away were some wild animal to appear and startle it.

Robin had very little choice but to lean against the well and wait. After some time, he spotted an apple tree in the distance and felt his stomach growl, he had left in such a hurry he had not even had a bloody sip of water. So he pushed himself from the dirty stone of the well, and headed towards the apple tree, picking a single fruit and inspecting it, to ensure no vermin had gotten to it first.

The fruit was clear and Robin headed back to this prior position leaning against the cold stone of the well, waiting for _her majesty_.

_What the fuck had he almost done? What the fuck had possessed him to try to strangle her? _

Robin was still not sure but the scar on his left shoulder started to burn only at the thought of how he would have felt if he had succeed. A shudder went through his entire body and Robin felt the hollow space inside his chest ache.

He was still trying to understand why she had simply done nothing to stop his attempt on her life, she possessed the most intricate magic he had ever seen, and yet, had made no use of it to prevent him from killing her.

A faint memory of a similar time when _she_ had made a grab for _his_ neck with brute force above a tree in the eastern woods came back to him. And Robin remembered how he had also not fought back, how he had found himself incapable of harming her, how then he had realized that he had deep feelings towards the woman.

_Could she have possibly felt the same? _

The very idea of it sent his blood pumping fast and his mind swirling with a mountain of thoughts.

There was no use in speculating, Robin only knew one thing, he would _never_ lose control like that again.

Robin was just about to take the first bite out of the apple, when suddenly a gloved hand snatched it from his grasp. He looked to the side to deliver a couple of colorful words to the sodding bastard when he saw _her_, a little bit of smoke under feet, wide-eyed and clutching the apple tightly, making the fruit grow bad and then rot in her grasp.

"No apples today," she said gravely, and a chilly wind blew at the same moment that the apple had turned to dust, making the powder hit Robin on the chest.

"Was that really necessary?"

She did not even dignify him with an answer, but simply walked past him, that was when Robin realized she was not alone. Behind her trailed two children – Robin would have been less shocked to see hellhounds trailing behind her than children – a girl and a boy, and for a solid moment Robin could do nothing but stare.

The young boy turned around, still moving, walking backwards and asked Robin, "Aren't you coming?"

Robin blinked a couple of times before he started trailing behind the unusual group. The Queen had fixed her hair apparently, so it did not look like a bird's nest any longer but flowed naturally about her shoulder. As for the children, it was clear that the girl was the oldest, she was the tallest of the two and Robin was able to detect a rather fierce look about her, as if she was on a serious mission she could not fail, he found the look to be strange and somehow wrong for someone so young. She had long, curly, light silver hair; – which he had come to interpret to mean she most probably was a blonde - her dress was torn in a few places and slightly dirty. The boy, on the other hand, looked excited and yet it was quite clear he was scared, both his hair and eyes were an ordinary brown, the look altogether on the boy's face reminded Robin of a pleading dog. Upon further inspection, Robin came to note that both children were somewhat dirty, especially on their hands and knees - the boy had scratched his right one.

He did not, however, trail behind the children for long; soon he was quickening his pace and reaching the Queen, who walked ahead of them.

"Would you mind sharing what you plan on doing with those children?" he asked her when he reached her side.

She did not even turn towards him whilst she responded, "No."

Robin groaned, if she kept on acting like this, this was bound to be a long, tiresome day. He suddenly felt a lump in his throat and the words escaped his lips before he could hold them back. He noticed the angry red marks on her neck were no more, she had probably made the use of magic to make the horrid things disappear.

"About earlier-" he started but she promptly interrupted him, still not looking his way.

"Nothing out of the ordinary happened," she stated, whilst walking around a sturdy tree, he followed and tried again.

"Out of the ordinary?" he was puzzled and wondered if she had had a memory lapse of some sort.

"I've had worse encounters thief," she said gravely, her tone was haunted and Robin had to wonder just what exactly had that woman been through to turn out like _that_.

Robin swallowed, he didn't respond, he actually did not even know what he had meant to say about their earlier, less-than-friendly encounter, he was sure as hell that he was not apologizing, but still-

"_And if you must know_-" her voice rung again, drawing him away from his thoughts, "-I'm not sacrificing the children for some dark ritual." She stopped then so she could finally look at him, square in the eye, her gaze was deep, pierced his soul, "I know that's what you were thinking."

She wasn't wrong. _His_ ideas had trailed along that direction. For what other purpose would she need children?

Robin cleared his throat and gave her, "That's rather relieving to hear-" they resumed their walk, both youngsters still behind them, "- I was just about to tell you I drew a line at children."

"Is that so?" she asked, her voice betrayed a little curiosity.

"Everyone's got a soft spot," he shrugged off.

She gave a quiet laugh before stating, "I thought your soft spot was inside your pants."

Robin had to laugh along with her, "Well, don't you know your fair share about that one-"

"Indeed" she replied taking in a sharp breath that betrayed she was thinking of something the children should not hear about.

They walked side by side for another minute in silence; Robin followed the Queen's lead, trusting she would not lead him into some manner of trap, for he did not know these woods at all. He also wanted to be sure he was to find his way back to his horse if this whole affair went in an undesired direction, - she could poof herself, he was not going to trust her to transport him as well - so in addition to cataloguing every single twist and turn they had made thus far, Robin had started discreetly marking some trees down with his dagger.

He broke the silence once more, "Are you really not going to tell where we are headed?"

"No," she replied, this time she turned to face with a grin. Robin was ready with a snarky remark when she cut him off and continued, "See for yourself thief-" she pushed some leaves aside to reveal their destination, "-hope you don't have a sweet tooth."

What Robin saw beyond was downright impossible. A house, an ordinary sized house, fit for maybe a family of four - maybe five - in size. But Robin knew that no person would ever live in such a house, for it was not made out of bricks, wood and steel, but completely founded and covered with sweets, candies and chocolate.

He could hear the children reach them, gasp at the sight of the delicious house, and rather obviously try to make it past him and the Queen to take a closer look and, most probably, a bite.

It was as if their movements were in complete sync, for both he and the Queen reached for one child each and held them back, Robin grasped the young girl by the arm and the Queen came to stand tall in front of the already terrified looking boy.

"Not so fast," her voice rung seriously as she stared down at the small pair, the boy shuddered whilst the girl looked back at her with a dumb amount of courage, "Now-" she continued, "-before I help you two trouble makers find your father-" _since when was she so charitable_?, "-you're going to have to do something for me."

Ah, he _knew_ there was something off about all this. Robin found himself rather curious to hear what she would have these children do and most importantly how did _he_ fit into all this.

"That-" she pointed a gloved finger towards the sweet and sticky house, "-is the home of a _witch, _the Blind Witch." the young boy's eyes widened while the girl held her breath waiting for the Queen to continue.

Was it her plan to terrify the children and _then_ throw them inside the house? _Lunatic_…

Her words then turned sour, "She has taken something of mine and I want the two of you to take it back," she informed them as if it was a trivial affair.

"Then why don't you go in there and take it yourself with your-" the girl paused for a while seeming to think of how she was going to categorize Robin.

"Robin" he gave her, for he was no servant, no knight, he had made that painfully clear that morning.

The girl's conclusion came out of her lips just after Robin had uttered his name, "-boyfriend."

The Queen drew in a sharp intake of breath whilst Robin tried very hard not to grin. The boy seemed to have shrunk on the spot and his sister still held her defying look, she rather reminded Robin of himself, she apparently could not keep at bay any rebelling words she had to say about the Queen.

"If you truly wish to see your father again _child_-" the Queen's tone was serious, "-you should not anger me."

The girl swallowed, the eye contact battle finally lost to the Queen as she cast her eyes down.

"I can't enter, neither can-" she paused and Robin wondered by which name she was going to call him, "-_he_. The house is protected by magic, no one can enter."

"Then how-?" the boy had apparently found his voice.

"The spell doesn't work on children," the Queen cut the boy off, he hugged his own frame in fear.

Things finally started to make sense, so the Queen wanted to _steal_ something – he knew nothing had been taken from the castle, otherwise she would have had him execute at least a dozen soldiers for it, plus he was finding himself able to pick out her lies more and more - from this witch but was incapable of entering her house.

"Fine-" the young girl took control, "What is it that you want us to take?" she asked.

"It's kept in a black leather satchel that hangs by her fireplace. Bring me the satchel and I'll find your father for you." The Queen informed them.

"Okay-" the girl nodded and started moving taking her brother's hand, "Come on Hansel!"

This time the Queen did not stop them, and Robin observed her as she watched the young ones, they had taken only a few steps towards the house when she spoke again.

"I would not go just yet children," both their heads shot back to look at her, "you can't enter the house now you silly things-" she let out a small wicked laugh at their foolishness, "-the witch may be blind, but she's still very much awake now. You wouldn't want her catching you _stealing_ from her now, would you?"

The boy shook his head and said loudly, "No, no-" the pair quickly rushed back to their side.

"Well then, you will stay here and wait until the Sun sets. Because of her magic, the witch falls asleep when the Sun light ceases to illuminate these woods. She can only be awake when the Sun is out, and so you must sneak into the house when it's dark." The Queen gave them.

"But-" the girl regarded her for a little bit, "-wouldn't the witch lock the door? She wouldn't just leave it open if the magic doesn't work on children." She reasoned.

There was a small twist of doubt, almost unnoticeable, on the Queen's features, that faded away quickly whilst she lied, "That's true-" _it was not_, "-that's why I have someone who can pick the sticky lock for you two to enter the house."

The Queen turned to Robin who frowned at her in confusion, "Am I only here in order to snap a candy cane lock?" he asked her incredulous, rising the volume of his voice more than he intended, "You cannot be serious-"

"No," she regarded him for a beat and then turned her head slowly towards the children again, "-you will also make sure these two brats don't run away with my satchel." She took two steps and leaned forward a little to level her face with theirs, and delivered with malice, "Because if you try to trick me, well-" she huffed out a laugh, "-if I were you, I wouldn't even _bother_ to look for your father."

Both children swallowed simultaneously and the Queen grinned, "Now, one more thing before I leave you-" she looked gravely at both the kids, "Inside the witch's house, no matter what happens, no matter how much you are tempted or hungry-" she paused, "_Do not eat anything_." The woman almost spelled out, "Do you understand?"

The boy simply nodded looking up at her with his sad puppy eyes whilst his sister gave her an audible '_Yes'_.

"Good," she lifted one perfect eyebrow and told them, "Don't move."

Before Robin knew it, he was being surrounded by the familiar feel of her cold, magical smoke, when it dissipated, they were both back at the well, his horse still there tied to the tree and looking not at all pleased. The Queen acted faster than he did and using her magic summoned some manner of horse food that the beast quickly attacked.

Robin turned to face her, "Tell me the truth. What is all this about?"

"The blind witch has something which I desire," she explained plainly.

"That I gathered, but why did you lie to the children about the lock?" he inquired, she opened her mouth to reply but Robin cut her, "And don't waste your breath trying to convince me that you spoke the truth about it."

She regarded him for a beat and huffed before replying, "You're right. That witch's door is wide open for children of all shapes and sizes. That's why I need _you-_" she pointed her forefinger towards him and pushed it against his chest, "-to be there, standing guard at the door with that perfect aim of yours pointing towards the witch at all times."

"Why? Won't she be asleep?" he was still puzzled as to why she would go into so much trouble if the witch clearly had a magical type of sleep that could only be awakened with the Sun.

"She might wake up in the middle of the night, there is one way for that to happen." She informed him gravely.

Robin looked at her for a beat and then it was all clear, "If they eat something from the house." He stated and the Queen nodded.

"Yes-" her voice had been somehow different ever since she had puffed them back to the well, she sounded dead serious, there was no malice there, no evil, she actually sounded worried, "This witch she-" she swallowed, "-she's not altogether sane, she's actually quite mad." She stopped again and Robin felt a lump rise in his throat.

"Go on-" he encouraged.

"There's a reason why only children can enter, why the house is entirely made out of sweets, she's-" she took in a deep breath and continued, "She had a miscarriage before she acquired her magic, and now, in that ludicrous head of hers, she believes that if she eats children, her baby will go back to her womb."

Robin felt a knot twist inside his stomach. He had heard his fair share of disgusting and horrifying stories, had even been witness and cause of some of them, but _this_ was downright disturbing. He now understood all too well the reason why his presence was so needed in this mission.

"Nothing will happen to them, you have my word." He assured her.

"Who knew a thief had honor?" she arched an amused brow.

"Who knew an Evil Queen had a soft spot for children?" he shot back at her with a little humor.

"Don't get too cocky outlaw-" her face was suddenly close to his, "-remember I know what your _other_ soft spot is," she licked her lips and wiggled her eyebrows once.

Robin was somewhat transfixed by her lips and missed his chance to speak, before he knew it she was backing away from him and telling him, "Keep your eye on those two during the rest of the day, and do not for a second take your eyes and aim away from the witch once they're inside the house." She turned around as if to leave but turned back to deliver, "And if there's any trouble and the witch does indeed wake up, rend her and bring her to me. She has no powers when the Sun is out, I'm sure you and two children can manage-"

And with that, Robin's world was once again dominated by smoke, the magic brought him back to the place where two half oblivious kids waited patiently to enter the house of a cannibal.

…

Although Robin drew a line at killing, torturing and hurting children, that did not mean that he was in any way fond of them. The first few hours had been a complete bore, the pair would complain constantly about being hungry and Robin could do very little about that, he ended up giving away his water skin to the annoying pair so they would shut up for a half a minute.

Robin sat on the ground with his back against a tree trunk when he heard another body sit beside him, the boy, Hansel – the girl's name was Gretel, they had given him their names at least – looked at him curiously, he seemed much less scared since the Queen had left them.

"What?" Robin found the boy's scrutinizing rather made him uncomfortable.

"Are you a knight?" the boy asked in all earnest.

"No" Robin scoffed, looking ahead.

"I thought so," he told him, "You don't look like a knight," there was something oddly simple about the way the boy spoke, he was clearly afraid of the Queen, but apparently not of Robin.

"And what do I look like?" Robin asked, curious to know the answer the puppy-eyed boy would give him.

"My papa," he said simply and Robin could not hold back his shock.

"How come?" Robin found his voice, and tried to ignore the odd feeling on his chest at the memory of a time when he thought he was to be a father.

"My papa's clothes look like yours," the boy studied him before continuing, "He keeps his dagger on his belt too," he crooked his head to the side a little and completed simply, "And he gets those wrinkly things beside his eyes when he smiles."

"Whenever did you see me smile?" Robin asked perplexed, it was odd to speak to a child like this; they were so different from the people he had been amongst for the past year.

"When you were talking to the Queen," he boy gave him, his tone was so simple, so absurdly pure that Robin was slightly taken aback, he continued, "She smiled at you too." He was looking at Robin with those big, brown eyes, so pure and uncorrupted, "She looked pretty when she smiled at you." He commented and turned his head to the side a little as if thinking, "She didn't look pretty when she smiled at me and Gretel, she looked scary."

"Are you scared of her?" Robin asked.

"Yes," his answer was a mere whisper, as if, were he to confess of his fear, the Queen would materialize in front of him to scare him even further.

"The Queen is not as bad as she looks," Robin gave him, feeling the odd need to comfort this small boy somehow, maybe it was due to the fact that the young thing would be entering the home of one who might very well have him for dinner if he and his sister were not careful, or maybe, it was that haunting ache he felt inside his chest ever since the boy had said that Robin looked like his father, "I know for a fact that she would never hurt you or your sister."

"How do you know?" he asked.

"I wouldn't be here if she didn't care about your safety," Robin explained and the boy gave him an understanding nod.

"You're here to protect us then?"

"Yes."

Silence reigned between the two of them for a few minutes, they both looked ahead contemplating the odd candy house whilst the young girl looked intently at a compass she had tied on a string around her neck.

"Are you really the Queen's boyfriend?" the boy's voice rang again and Robin was faintly startled by the subject of the question and answered without even thinking.

"No, I am not." Their relationship status was far too complicated for the head of a seven year old.

"But you _like_ her," the boy commented and this time Robin turned to face him with a frown upon his forehead and absolutely no answer on his lips - that hung slightly open.

"I-" he found his voice but still no answer, he was caught completely off guard, the boy's eyes seemed to pierce through his skin, and look right into his soul. Children were truly something different; he could hardly believe those big, innocent eyes would, in some years' time, belong to a man that might very well turn out like Robin himself. "I do," he confessed, his voice was soft and low, only meant to be heard by the boy.

"Why?" the boy inquired in a slightly high-pitched voice.

"She's, hmm-" _now_ Robin had really lost his words. He started feeling rather uncomfortable about the questions being asked by the little one, but chose not to snap at him, alien sympathy for the child flowing in his chest, "We're very much alike."

Before either of them could say anything else on the subject, the girl Gretel came to stand in front of them and spoke.

"The Sun is setting, it's time."

…

The children were in, and Robin's blood was running cold and fast inside his veins, he could not help but be nervous over this whole situation. The girl Gretel had just opened the window from the inside, so Robin was able to see the interior of the candy house, which was also entirely made out of sweets and chocolate. There were several tables around, but Robin could barely see any of the furniture for they were all filled with sweets, cakes, pies, lollipops, puddings and so much more, the house was indeed a temptation to children.

His attentions were quickly diverged to the sleeping figure sitting beside the fire, Robin studied her for a moment before he aimed his arrow right at her throat. She was deadly pale, the only contrast to the whiteness of her features were the scars, it was as if she had been scratched in the vertical direction from her eyebrows until the bottom of her cheeks, as if something had tried to scratch her eyes off. The marks must have cut deep when they were given to her – or had she inflicted them upon herself? - but now they were healed, had turned into angry pink scars that marred her once beautiful face. Her hair was a tangle, it was up and messy, and Robin could see from where he stood knot after knot on the silvery mane.

Robin could see she had a decent enough body, she appeared to be young, but the thing with witches was that you never knew truly how old they were; she could indeed be young, like he believed the Queen to be, or she could be a hundred years old. Her dress seemed to be a compilation of fabrics sewn together, a mess really, nothing that could even be compared to anything the witch who haunted his thoughts possessed.

Everything was going according to plan, he had his arrow pointed at the crazy witch and could see from the corner of his eye, the girl reach out for a black satchel that hung just beside the fireplace, just as the Queen had told them.

They say everything goes right until it goes wrong. It was a split second, a mere moment of diversion, for Robin's attentions were steered from the sleeping witch as soon as Gretel's scream invaded his ears, his eyes shot to the place the girl stood. She stood beside her brother, who had what looked to be a small cake in his grasp; smudges of icing on his face told Robin what he feared the most.

_Foolish boy._

When his eyes went back to the sleeping figure he was supposed to be watching like a hawk, he found she was no longer sitting, and no longer sleeping, but very much awake and on her feet. He could not see her eyes for she was on her side, her blind stare apparently fixated on the two children she planned on having for dinner.

Robin tried to aim for the woman's head again but the window he was looking through suddenly closed by itself with a loud bang. Next thing he knew the door also banged closed and Robin felt panic start to spread throughout his entire body, for he could still hear the children running inside as well as their screams.

He knew it was foolish even to try, but at that precise moment, Robin was too worried about other things to concern himself in doing what was logical. He dropped his bow and the arrow and ran for the door with his dagger in hand, the lock was indeed made of candy cane and he was able to break it with ease. He tried to kick the door open but a strange force prevented him of doing so.

"Robin!" he heard the young boy's voice screech from inside, and his chest tightened with despair, this was all his fault, the children were going to be cooked alive, and he had only himself to blame.

"I'm coming!" he screamed in reply, but it all seemed so hopeless, he tried to kick the door again, but to no avail, the magical force prevented him of knocking the door down.

Robin felt a tear slip from his eye from knowing he had failed the children, yet another child he was incapable of saving, first his own – like his baby Roland - and now these two who had just lost their father. Anger, frustration and anguish took over as he threw a punch at the house wall with all the force he had, channeling all the fury and defeat he felt into the hit.

It was indeed quite a powerful blow, for it actually managed to break through the chocolate.

_No_, it could not be _that_ easy? Certainly, the witch was not stupid enough to _only_ enchant the doors and windows.

She apparently was as dumb as she was crazy and soon, after several kicks and punches, Robin was able to open a hole on the wall big enough for him to enter the sweet house.

He thankfully got in just in time to see the witch cornering Gretel in the kitchen, a kitchen that contained the largest oven he had ever laid his eyes on, only the sight of it made his stomach twist. He planned on surprising the witch from behind, since she had not noticed he had kicked a hole on the wall and gotten in, but Hansel's gleeful yelp of '_Robin!_' completely blew his chances of surprising the witch.

She turned around to face him and Robin had to hold himself together to not gasp at the sight of her eyes, they were milky white, the whole eye was consumed by white, they were wide and wild, and it felt as if she could see Robin all too well. He was frozen on his spot, and tried desperately to think up of something to do as she took a large intake of breath, seeming to be sniffing for something.

"Who else is there?" her voice was unfortunately quite lovely, rather musical, she took in another long breath and sniffed again, taking two steps on Robin's direction.

He was not sure if she knew where he was exactly, if maybe she could see outlines but not in detail, it seemed as if she could sense him but not really see, so he dared not to move. She looked slightly out of sorts, the girl Gretel, who she had been cornering, was now completely forgotten as the witch sniffed and took another step towards Robin.

"It can't be-" the witch's musical voice sounded again and Robin's attentions were brought back to her, he dared to mouth to Gretel for her to set her brother free – Robin could see the boy was inside some type of cage in another corner of this hell's kitchen.

The witch was getting closer and closer, and Robin clutched his dagger firmly in his grasp remembering the Queen had told him to bring the crazy enchantress alive to her, he pondered upon his options. She lifted her arms so slowly, as if afraid of him, but absolutely enthralled by the possibility of touching, her mouth was hanging slightly open and the closer she got, the redder the scars on her face seemed to become.

When she was a few feet away, her outstretched fingertips almost touched the leather on Robin's vest, her voice came out as a whisper, "Eugene?"

_Eugene? Who the hell was Eugene?_

A small moment of distraction upon her calling out this alien name was all it took for her to close both her fists around his vest, and pull Robin towards her with a force that told him she shoved entire young bodies inside that oven.

He was completely shocked and could do nothing but stare wide-eyed as the blind woman took a big sniff that began at the base of his neck and finished just beside his ear, and sighed a now confirming '_Eugene'_. He felt absolutely disgusted, and closed his eyes feeling his bile rise as the most off-putting breath he had ever smelled reached his nostrils. Unfortunately it had paralyzed him for a moment, or had she paralyzed him? Robin did not know if she was capable of doing magic or not anymore, all he knew was that the smell and her sweet voice did not fit with each other at all.

When her fists became her full palms on his chest and the words, "My love, I thought you were gone, I thought you fell-" reached his ear, Robin opened his eyes to find her face much closer to his. His limbs worked again and with his free hand he grabbed a fistful of hair with force and yanked the front of her body from his, forcing her to turn around so her back hit his front and his blade was quickly placed upon her neck.

He wanted to keep that woman as far away from him as possible, he wanted to keep her away from the whole wide world, wanted to end her damned existence right then. But the Queen's orders not to kill her had been quite clear, plus he could not let go of her at that precise moment because of the young ones she wished to devour.

Robin pressed the blade further into her neck when he heard her protest, and he spoke to her in between gritted teeth absolutely enraged by everything that woman stood for and everything she had done, "I do not want to hear a word more of this nonsense!"

She whined again, pleading words Robin chose to shut down as he threatened her again, "If you value your life, I would advise you to shut it!"

Her response was on the very least haunting, "I don't value anything-" she nearly whimpered, "All I want is my young one back-"

"SHUT IT!" he screamed at her and suddenly dead silence filled the room, Robin was certain he would have emptied the contents of his stomach right then if he had eaten at all that day. That woman stunk of death, her mouth reeked of dead flesh, and he knew the reason why.

The children were standing a few feet away from him looking at the scene before their eyes with a comprehensive amount of fear. Gretel had the blasted satchel in her grasp, thankfully. When Robin felt the witch was taking a longer breath so she could speak again, he removed his dagger from her throat and knocked her with its hilt over the head, making her pass out at the spot. He did not bother to ease off her tumble, on the contrary, he stepped back so she could hit the floor hard whilst she fell, the three of them looked down at the witch with disgust, and for a few moments, no one spoke.

"She said she was going to eat us," Hansel's small voice sounded, he was clearly, still very much in shock.

"Did you _know_ about that?" Gretel spat at him accusingly.

"I wasn't going to let her eat either of you," he stated still looking down at the witch.

"So you _knew_!" the girl's voice rose.

"Yes I knew!" Robin brought his eyes to meet her fierce set, "And the sole reason why I was brought here was to make sure she wouldn't eat the pair of you," he was suddenly rather nervous about the girl's accusations, "Now shut up about that, otherwise I'll knock you over the head as well, and have your brother carry you."

…

Both children zipped their sorry holes after Robin's threat, and the three of them, plus a very passed out witch that Robin had to carry over his shoulder, exited the sweet child trap in blissful silence. The walk to the well was a quiet one as well; the children did not even dare to speak amongst each other. He followed the marks he had made on the trees, they were like his discreet breadcrumb trail, so he could find his way about this foreign forest.

The girl still held on to the satchel, Robin let her since the deal was struck between her and the Queen, it was the girl's duty to deliver, not his. His duty was to deliver _them_, which he would now that he had burdened his horse with their two small frames, plus he had bound the passed out witch to the back of the beast, who did not look too pleased with all that weight.

Robin made sure to tie a sturdy rope to the reins of the horse so he could lead the beast without any chance of it bolting or the children being smart about the whole arrangement. When Robin was able to see the castle from afar - it was the nearest thing he could refer to as home - he sighed in relief, this whole business was almost over, he would hand in the children and the witch, and then _finally_ get some food.

Upon their arrival, the horse was hastily ushered away by a stable hand whilst under Robin's orders, one of the palace guards picked up the bound witch, with an understandable amount of hesitation, for her face, even whilst asleep, was not very inviting. He quickly made his way through the maze of corridors that spread about the castle, and was soon before the large wooden doors of the throne room, where the Queen awaited for them.

Before he could so much as touch the wooden surface, an invisible force opened the doors, and although the children were slightly taken aback, Robin simply stepped inside the grand hall, not taking long to spot the Queen. She was lounging on the King's throne, with her legs crossed, her arms relaxed on the arm rests of the massive throne, her expression, rather bored, but her choice of outfit finally on point. Robin was not going to lie, the tight, black leather pants, combined with equally sharp black, knee high, high heeled boots, a dark corseted cape fastened firmly about her frame that possessed a cleavage that left nearly nothing to the imagination, made Robin forget momentarily about the whole affair and simply want to bury his face in between her breasts. It was really a shame that she had around her neck some manner of necklace so ridiculously looking that Robin felt tired only by looking at it.

"It took you long enough," her voice rung about the hall, she did not move from her position whilst the group walked towards her.

When they were standing just on the foot of the steps that led towards the throne area, Robin saw the helpless soldier try his best at bowing to her whilst he carried an adult body.

Robin simply nodded towards her, she lifted an unimpressed brow, but before he could reply to anything she said, the girl Greta was storming past him, climbing the few steps and standing right in front of the Queen, "Here's your satchel." She outstretched her arm, offering the Queen the damn bag they had been through so much trouble to retrieve.

The Queen simply hummed and straightened her posture, for a moment simply studying the girl. Her hand was fast, so fast that Gretel gasped in surprise, the Queen did not have to use any magic to snatch the satchel from the girl's grasp, giving her a reprimanding look that made the young thing take a few steps back.

Nevertheless the young one found her voice, "Now help us find our father," she demanded but was now hesitant, having lost the satchel.

"I will," the Queen's words were filled with spite, "But first-" she turned her gaze towards the guard, "- I'd like to have a word with your extra luggage," she paused for a moment. "Put her down!" she commanded to the guard, who did not need to be told twice before he placed the body on the floor, her back to the cold stone.

All eyes were on the strange looking witch who bore angry pink scars on her face as if she had wanted to gauge out her own eyes. The Queen waved her hand in the air, and Robin saw a pair of milky, white eyes that he had wished never to see again.

Before she could locate herself – which was bound to be pretty hard anyway since she was blind after all - or speak, the Queen waved her hand again and the Blind witch's body moved in an unnatural way until she was on her feet.

The Queen stood then, and descended the steps so she could be face to face with the blind sorceress, who kept taking in air through her nose, as if it was through smell that she could tell people and places apart. She certainly knew the smell of children quite well.

The Queen had an odd look upon her features as she studied the blind woman, she scrutinized her from head to toe, her eyes lingering on the angry scars on her face.

"Who taught you magic?" the Queen spoke suddenly and the witch's head snapped in her direction.

"Mother-" her hauntingly beautiful voice sounded.

"The Blue Witch?" the Queen inquired.

"My mother whispers spells-" the blind witch replied, tilting her head to the side, her white orbs now fixated on the Queen.

"You're lying," the Queen spoke with certainty, "The Blue Witch died not long after she blinded and outcast you!"

Robin understood the Queen was probably trying to get to the bottom of this story, trying to understand why one would do as this Blind Witch had, and most importantly, who implemented such an unspeakable idea inside her head, but he feared this interrogation would get nowhere since the woman was truly and genuinely crazy.

"Mother said-" the Blind Witch shook her head to the side and completed, "-magic or baby," she tilted her head to the side and continued in a quiet tone, her sweet voice sounded almost like a lullaby, "I said _baby._" Her face lit up with joy, only to twist into s frown as she continued, "Mother gave me magic instead-" she placed her hands on her stomach, "I lost it, I lost my little one, my hands were buzzing with sparkles but I felt the warmth of my little one leave me forever-"

At this point, all the occupants of the room simply stared completely shocked at the blind woman retelling her story, how absolutely disturbed she was, how so irreparably crazy, all apparently had been the workings of a cruel mother. Robin looked at the Queen then, who had the strangest expression upon her features, astonishment mingled with pity, it mirrored what Robin felt on the inside as he held on to his stern expression.

"Your mother died a long time ago Rapunzel-" the Queen's voice sounded so different, one could even say she was trying to help the witch – Rapunzel was apparently her name – grasp reality.

"_Mother_-" she said quietly, "Mother was there-" she nodded to herself, "I was alone in the swamp-" she stopped midsentence and shook her head then, "No! I had my little one inside, but saw only black until mother appeared-" she widened her eyes, "Then-" she outstretched her hand as if to touch an invisible something ahead of her, "- a light of blue danced in the air. As if she had wings, as if she flew before me-" her arm dropped and she finished, "_Mother_"

The blind witch looked as if she were in a trance for a moment, not saying a word with her mouth slightly agape, she then spoke again, "I wanted the little one back-" she whined, nearly crying like a child, "Mother said-" she straightened up her posture as if imitating the motherly figure, "The only way to do that-" she had changed her voice almost completely for the imitation, "-is to put the baby back into your belly." She gestured with her hand, pointing her forefinger ahead of her in a gentle gesture, "The children you eat will little by little-" she squealed then and Robin felt sick, "-_little by little_-" she repeated with a childish singing voice, "-become your little one."

The Queen pursed her lips with an utter look of disgust on her face, "No-" her voice was pure ire, low and dangerous, "That was _not_ your mother," she looked down at the pitiful witch in front of her, "But I think I know _who_."

With that, the Queen pivoted on her heels still clutching the satchel, she walked towards the nearest window and started out into the night.

She turned her face to the side and ordered, "Williams, take her to the upper cells,"

But no soon had the guard approached the witch, she immediately turned his way, taking in deep intakes of breath, and closing the distance between them with certain and almost alarming strides. All occupants inside the room watched yet again perplexed as the insane woman did with soldier Williams – a strongly built young man that neared Robin's age and height – just as she had done with Robin inside the candy house. She grabbed the stunned soldier's lapels, and started smelling him, the young man had 'horror' painted on his face, but just like Robin, was petrified on the spot.

Her melodically sweet voice sounded again, calling out the strange name '_Eugene_' again. But this time the witch feel to her knees, sliding her hands down the soldier's front until she was able to hug his legs whilst murmuring things Robin's ears yet again did not want to understand. Sweet words of love he had not heard being uttered ever since Marian-

The Queen had left her post by the window and approached the Witch once more, "What is the meaning of _this_?" her face was twisted with confusion and disgust.

"My love you live-" Robin was able to make out, for the witch had buried her face on the soldier's legs, she sniffed him again and again. And it was then that it finally hit him.

"She thinks he's the father to her child, her lover-" he said it to himself but somehow the words spilled out of his mouth.

"What?" the Queen's eyes turned to him.

"She did the same to me," Robin tried to explain.

"You let her _sniff_ you?" the Queen's eyes were suddenly wide with shock and jealousy.

"She grabbed me, and paralyzed me somehow back in that sticky house," he retold, "I was quickly able to break free but not before she also called me by that name." the Queen nodded, silently telling him to continue, "She's blind your majesty! Don't you see? Her smelling sense must have been heightened somehow, she can tell types of people apart only by smelling them." It was absolutely insane and yet, made so much sense when put together with the story of the crazy woman currently on her knees sobbing on Williams' trousers, "She attributes the male scent to her lost lover, children's scent to her lost baby."

The Queen's mouth was hanging slightly open, and Robin took a bit too much pride in making her look as she did at that moment. She swallowed, and told Robin gravely, "Rid Williams of her."

Robin did not need to be told twice before he grabbed the weeping woman by the back of the neck and pulled her back, freeing Williams, who was pretty much in shock, "You're dismissed Williams," Robin told him, and it took the young man a while to recuperate his movements and finally leave.

As soon as the manly scent of Williams left the smelling perimeter of the witch's nose, she started crying out for him to come back, words of lost love and death on her lips that Robin did not want to hear. Her musical voice lamented a loss, but at the same time babbled nonsense about children and sweets. Robin tried to hold her back as she tried to follow the young man, but soon the Queen's magic worked on her body again, making it tame and unmoving.

The Blind Witch was still on her knees, Robin was behind her gripping her neck for good measure as the Queen approached them, she looked down at the crazy woman with many emotions dancing about her brown eyes, the dominating one, however, was pity, Robin could feel it just as much as he felt it himself.

The Queen looked up, and met his eyes with an understanding gaze that spoke of everything she would tell him before she even uttered a word, he nodded. He understood what she meant, what she wanted, until the words finally tumbled from her lips, "End her misery."

Robin made sure to be swift and fast, taking his dagger skillfully from his belt, pulling the Witch's hair in order to tilt her head and slitting her throat fatally with only a single slash of his blade. The witch made a dying noise, as if she was drowning in her own blood, but the next moment made no sound at all.

Robin knew how to kill, he knew that particular kind of slash was instantaneous. No doubt was left about it when he released the woman's hair and she fell lifeless on her head upon the stone floor.

It was then that a high-pitched scream reached his senses and Robin just then realized that this whole exchange had transpired in the presence of two children, two children now marred by his violence, a violence Robin and the Queen saw as mercy, but how could the children understand?

The Queen took a deep breath and closed her eyes, seeming to also have forgotten about the children's presence altogether. "Have someone take _that_ away Locksley-" a set of fingers were on her temple and her eyes still closed, "-after that you are dismissed," she opened her eyes then and completed, "I need to attend to _this_ unfinished business," she motioned towards the two children with her hands and before Robin could say anything, she was gone along with the children in a cloud of smoke.

…

After he had seen to it that soldiers took the witch's corpse away and maids cleaned away the very memory of her foul blood on the stone floor, Robin had made a very deserved trip to the kitchens, where he took no reservations in eating until his stomach screeched. He went to his chambers dreaming only of lying down on his bed and sleeping for days after this awful, perturbing day. And yet, when his head hit the pillow, Robin was not able to drift away into sleep. Memories of this tempestuous day seemed to play over and over inside his head, making his chest ache and his mind swirl with a million thoughts.

He remembered how he had almost strangled the Queen, and how she had not been so surprised, how she had not fought back, and how she had treated the subject as if it was trivial, mundane, her voice still rang clear, _'I've had worse encounters thief'_.

He was still in awe of how she had cared enough to send him along with the children, just so he could protect them, make sure no harm came to them. Although Robin himself would have done the exact same thing; there was something about children that made him unable to hate them as he did adults, a blissful kind of ignorance he inwardly envied, but ultimately wanted to protect.

The mere thought of that Witch made Robin's stomach turn, it was now filled to the brim with food, so it was not as safe as before to linger in such thoughts. He had rather admired the Queen's attitude in ridding the world of that foul creature, or could he dare and think that the Blind Witch was but a victim of some higher force? The Queen seemed to believe so, and also know exactly who said higher force was.

After laying awake for about one hour, thoughts haunting his mind and a strange ache starting to build up on his left side, Robin twisted and turned on his bed only to have sleep not take him. He then decided that maybe he needed to walk it off, maybe take a dip into the river in order to cleanse away all the foulness of that day.

Although Robin had planned to get out of the stuffy castle, his feet were taking step after step of their own accord, all he knew was that they were most certainly not leading him towards the castle grounds. They made their path on their own, trailing without a clear objective in mind, Robin just kept striding. He still felt an odd ache in his chest, the scar on his shoulder seemed to burn, anguish dominated spot where his heart had once beat fast and sturdy. Now it was empty, and yet, even though at the beginning he had been blessed with the feeling of numbness, as of lately, he seemed to feel almost as if he had it back in. Not completely, and not all of the time, but still, on occasion feelings would spread and rushed about his body and then vanish.

He remembered how he had only been able to feel when he was in _her_ presence; her blood red vibrations had hit him like killer arrows. But now, all of a sudden, feelings would burst out of nowhere only to disappear almost immediately after, his experience at the candy made house serving to show him that he still felt a lot now, even in her absence.

This whole thing was going to drive him insane.

_Even more insane_

For Robin was pretty sure he had already lost his mind the moment when he had agreed to let her rip his heart out, and keep it in a box as leverage for his failure. At the time, the numbness seemed worth anything, even the loss of a vital organ.

Cold, grey, stone walls were all he could see as he made each turn certain and yet completely oblivious as to where his feet were leading him. The pain in his chest increased with every stride and suddenly Robin heard a sob, he stopped.

He had halted in front of a large, dark, oak door. Robin studied it for a minute before the sound of crashing glass filled his ears. He did not think twice before he pushed the door open and barged into the room.

The place was dark, hauntingly so, only dimly lit by moonlight that shone through the drapes of the half opened curtains. It appeared to be a sleeping chamber, Robin could make out a four-poster bed to his right, it was unmade and since the light of the moon hit it mostly, he could distinctly make out there was a white, furred cover amongst the scattered pillows. His eyes travelled by the opened window - the thin, light colored drapes fluttered in the wind - and came to rest upon a full-length mirror to the left that sat alone on a corner of the room facing the bed. It had been smashed. Robin approached the shattered piece, and drew his fingers about the cracks that had most certainly been created by a fist, one nice punch. A few, small shards of glass were scattered on the floor by the mirror.

Robin frowned and looked up at the mirror only to be startled to see a dark figure standing behind him in the broken reflection of the reflective surface, and could not help but let out a, "_Fucking hell_" in surprise at the figure that had not been there a moment ago.

He turned around quickly to face the obscure silhouette, his hand going to his belt only to find he was only clad in his sleeping pants and consequently unarmed. The imminent threat of an encounter with a stranger was quickly discarded, for although he could only see a dark outline, Robin could somehow feel who it was even before it spoke.

"What the hell do you think you are doing here?" asked the Queen, who else could it be, but the Queen? Robin should have known it was her the moment he heard the noise from outside, for any maniac behavior in this castle was either prominent of himself or that _fucking_ Queen.

Her voice was raspy though, and not the kind he was accustomed to, not the rasp of having screamed of too much ecstasy, but of- _crying_? Robin did not think it possible for a person such her to actually _cry_. Although he had to remind himself that he had seen her eyes moist with tears on more than one occasion, but this time it was somehow _different_.

As Robin's eyes started to get accustomed to the darkness of the room, he was actually able to see her vibrant eyes shimmer and widen at his lack of response. He had to admit she looked rather frightening like this - which might have sounded ridiculous to Robin in recollection, but at that moment she looked raw and dangerous - her eyes shone whilst the rest of her body remained a black silhouette.

"Well?" she was most certainly mad at him, and yet but sounded broken, tired.

Something was off.

"I heard a crash that's all," Robin spoke, trying to sound conversational, somehow not wanting to meet her at her level of coarseness.

Her only response was an annoyed huff, she then turned towards the drapes and disappeared into the balcony. Upon further study of the room itself, Robin began to wonder if he had ever been inside this particular chamber, it looked somewhat familiar for some strange reason, but he could not recollect having entered it during his time serving the Queen.

He was pretty sure the huff had been dismissive, and yet, Robin could not bring himself to leave her, could not bear the thought of her inside this lone, pastel colored chamber whilst she wore sure a strange expression on her features.

The pang in his chest had become rather painful by this point, and his scar still burned, it was as if it was hurting, like it was crying, like it was angry.

His feet moved on their own accord, and he came into a halt in front of the windows that led to the balcony, only thin translucent drapes separated him from the Queen now. She had her back to him and was leaning on the fence her hands gripped it with force. Her knuckles turning white, head tilted back and Robin could see her eyes were closed. A flash of memory swiped through his eyes, as he remembered climbing that very same fence, long ago, years and years ago, before Marian, before disgrace, when it was just him and Will-

"I don't understand," she whispered, bringing him back to the here and now, making the memory of the vast amount of thievery he had made in that room so long ago vanish. The Queen had spoken so softly that Robin was not sure if she was aware that he was still there, this moment suddenly turned intimate in the oddest of ways, and Robin felt as if he was overstepping the boundaries of whatever they had together.

"What don't you understand?" Robin tried regardless of his head telling him to back off.

_What the hell am I doing?_

"The children," her voice was small and yet he could hear her words perfectly, she straightened her head, still facing away from him and gripping at the balcony fence.

"Hansel and his sister?" Robin found it odd he had addressed to the boy by his given name, something that betrayed he had maybe warmed up a little to the stupid young boy, "What about them? Didn't they get the satchel you wanted?" Robin was trying to understand, why would she be upset over two brats? Had they tricked the pair of them somehow? Robin found that to be rather impossible, for she would be fuming and not crying if they had. Robin actually could not still wrap his head around the fact that she had been crying at all.

He drew the curtains away so he could see her better, bathed in the moonlight, he then noticed she was barefoot, and only wore her usual pair of leather pants and a tight dark corset, her hair half pinned up.

"Yes-" she breathed out, her head turned to the side then, her grip still holding on to the ledge, the smallest of smiles grew on her lips, "-yes, they did-"

A strange sense of joy suddenly started coursing through Robin's veins, it was a dark and evil sort of joy, born out of revenge and hatred, but still, it felt good, like a drug one knew to be fatal but could not give up on.

It was absolute madness, why in all the realms was he feeling that alien sentiment? It was not right, he was absolutely sure he was _not_ the one feeling those things, had no reason to have been feeling heartache two minutes ago and now to be so overwhelmed with this poisonous joy.

The feeling sank again, just as fast as it came, the joy disappeared to give place to the same heartache that had taken residence in his chest a while ago.

"I-" she started, she had turned to face the moonlight again, away from him, "I asked them-" her voice was so small, so distant, "-I told them they could live here in the castle, never want for anything ever again."

That, Robin most certainly did see coming, he frowned at the very thought of it, and was only able to produce a questioning, "Oh?"

There was a moment of silence which was only disturbed when the enigmatic woman before him took a deep breath. She then finally turned around to face him, leaning her lower back against the fence, her hands holding onto it loosely now. Robin could not make out her expression very well; - since the shining moon was right behind her, she was once again a dark silhouette.

"They did not want to stay." Her tone was low and flat at this statement, as if she was trying to detach any kind of feeling from her words.

"But why does that even bother you?" Robin tried to understand, finding this moment and her attitude altogether odd.

She regarded him for a beat in silence, and then turned her gaze down whilst her voice sounded again, small and wounded, "She said that they would _never_ want to-" she suddenly stopped midsentence, and her eyes shot up to meet his as she continued speaking, now in a different tone of incredulity, "Why wouldn't they want to stay here?"

The speed of her words increased listing thoughts that had obviously been whirring around her mind, "They were poor and their father had abandoned them, they had _nothing_ and I offered _everything_. And yet-" she swallowed and finished, "And yet they chose to hold on to a broken promise when I could have given them everything their hearts desired."

Silence reigned for a few seconds as Robin took in all that new information that still baffled him. He could not understand why she would even want those brats living there, it made no sense.

"Did you?" Robin asked in impulse, _what the hell was he getting at?_

"Did I _what_?" he could see her shining eyes narrow.

"Did _you_ want to live here?" he explained, his tone strangely soft, truly quizzical, not at all biting, he continued when she only frowned in response, "Did you want to be Queen? Had that always been your ambition?"

Robin did not know what he was doing, what exactly was driving him to ask those questions. Questions about her, the mysteries of her that he now realized he had always wanted to know.

Where was the shy girl who loved horses? Somehow, the image painted by the old captain all those months ago did not seem to fit in at all with the woman he had worked for over the past months. Had that always been an act? The sweet, mellow and kind Queen? Or was the evil and unforgiving Queen her real mask? Had she always been like this?

"No," she breathed, barely a whisper. She pushed her weight from the fence, stalked away from the high edge, passing him by without so much as a glance, and entering the room again. He turned on his heel and saw that she once again had her back to him, and hugged her figure. Whilst she continued to speak her tone was bitter, "-it was never my ambition to be anything other than _myself_," she turned her head in order to look at him over her shoulder, "-let alone _Queen_." The title spilled from her lips as if it was the foulest thing in the world.

"Why did you then?" Robin had to know, her latest revelation having made him feel even bolder.

"I did not have a say in the matter of my marriage," She spoke while taking a few steps towards the large, four-poster bed. She then placed her hand on one of the posts and regarded the bedsheets.

_An arranged marriage_, of course, it was pretty obvious, Kings and Queens most certainly did not marry for love, _that_ was common knowledge. And yet, having her confirm the obvious was oddly painful to him, he felt his chest tighten with sympathy towards her, the image of her as a young, innocent woman of barely eighteen becoming more and more possible.

"I'm sorry," he told her truthfully.

He truly was sorry for her; he could not imagine how it must be like to have your destiny in the hands of others. To not be in control of your own life, but to merely belong to another, as if your humanity was taken away from you, and your sole purpose in life became to serve a nation. _That_, after all, was what royalty was about, and why Robin despised it so. Plus, arranged marriages hit a hard chord for him, after all he _had_ saved Marian from one.

_Wonder if I had saved _her_ instead of Marian-_

"I don't need your pity-" she snapped him out of his haze; she was facing him now, staring at him with eyes fierce with anger but moist with tears and tiredness.

"You do not have my pity, your majesty," That statement was untrue and Robin knew it all too well how much he _felt_ for her, but he had grown angry at her sudden change in mood. _Must she always be so unbearable?_ "No one does, I have not felt anything ever since you took my heart away," _unless when I'm with you_,_ or near you, or think of you,_ but Robin would never dare to complete that sentence. He continued, trying to go back to the previous subject, "Maybe the children did not want to stay for the same reason you didn't want to linger when you first came here."

She huffed in response to his words, and went to sit on the bed. Her manner was completely different, her hips did not dance as she moved, her arms hung at her sides and her gaze was turned downward. She descended her heavenly derrière on the mattress and sighed.

"You stayed," she said, not really looking at him.

"You took my heart," he said without really thinking, but he knew that was not the reason why he had lingered; he could not be away from her, to _that_, he was starting to get to terms with. His words were quickly followed by a strong pang of pain in his chest, disappointment, hurt and hopelessness.

"You offered it to me," she still did not look at him, she faced ahead as if talking to a voice inside her head for her own was weak; it lacked that bite he had grown accustomed to retort to with an odd pleasure. She sounded wounded.

"Indeed I did," he said with a deep sigh, the strong sensations on his chest started to subside.

"Why?" her head turned upwards then and she met his eyes with her inquiry, "Why _did_ you stay?" She questioned, her voice had risen a little, "It's not as if I forced you to stay-" she stopped and tilted her head only a little to the side, like a curious bird - oddly so, it reminded Robin of the pet name Maleficent had for her, she could most certainly see traces of that_ little dove _now - she asked with a small frown, "Did I?"

"No you didn't-" he responded to her almost immediately, wanting to reassure her somehow, for all the fucks in the world, he was doomed, "-I remember quite clearly that I was the one who asked you to take my heart away,"

Robin was rather stunned at the outcome of this conversation, it was probably one of the most honest conversations they had ever had, and yet, he could hardly even see her face.

"Why did you not want it?" she asked simply.

"Because it burdened me with guilt," he replied with a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Because of your wife?" she asked again and he then realized he was not looking at her anymore but over her head, not wanting her to see the hurt inside his eyes whilst he spoke of this.

"Because of my wife and my child," he said simply with a final tone.

The Queen's expression twisted in sorrow at his last statement, as her face moved, one thin tear fell from her eye and trailed down the side of her face. She took a deep breath after a moment and nodded at his words letting out the softest "_Ah_" in acknowledgement of his statement. Deadly silence filled the room once again after that, the Queen still sat on the bed and Robin still stood, a few feet away, facing her. He could see her eyes shine with what seemed to be liters of unshed tears, his vision had by then completely adjusted to the darkness of the room. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes causing the tears to roll down her cheeks, but did not move otherwise, only the rise and fall of her chest was in motion, her skin under the moonlight was so pale almost looked as if she was a ghost.

Aside from his own troubling feelings, Robin still felt the alien pain inside his chest, it was so strong then that if he had not known that his heart laid elsewhere, he would have thought he was having a heart attack.

He felt deep loneliness he did not quite know what to make of, for there he was, in that dark room where a lifetime ago he had stolen so many jewels and laughed, and teased Will. Now there he stood, with _her_.

That woman that had slithered her way into his life like a poisonous snake, and yet, he would happily let her give him the fatal bite if it meant feeling her warm skin against his once more. That enigmatic Queen who seemed to have so many faces, so many layers, so many stories untold about her. She had discarded her royal air now, finally seemed to let her mask slip for more than a few moments.

His brain told him that he was not supposed to be there, that this was far too personal a time for the Queen, that the least she deserved was his consideration, and so he should leave her in peace. _He should leave._

And yet, another voice told him to stay, _She needs you,_ it whispered softly in his ear and Robin was startled to realize the voice was female and tender, he faintly recognized it, he _knew_ that voice, it made him stay, did not allow his legs to move or his feet to take steps.

"Do you want me to leave?" he barely whispered, letting her decide what was best.

"_No_" she replied immediately, eyes still screwed shut, "Don't leave." It was such a hushed whisper, almost like a prayer, Robin did not know if she had indeed uttered those exact words or not.

He most certainly did not have a reply for _that_, he was rather stunned to see she had really let her walls down, every single cube of that gigantic ice fortress she had built around herself. He remained where he was, looking at her with a whole new set of questions in his head, wondering where the hell she had been hiding that personality all this time.

"I do not want to be alone tonight," she opened her eyes then, and looked at him with her dark, brown orbs, and even though they were watery from her tears they still had the ability to pierce through his very soul, he could never deny her anything, _he was doomed_.

Robin was out of words, could not possibly find a single syllable to reply to her. Along with the feeling of loneliness in his chest there rose a sincere feeling of compassion, something he had not deemed himself of being capable of feeling anymore. And yet, as their eyes locked, her own so absolutely stripped of masks and disguises, as if he could finally see the woman behind the Queen, the feeling bloomed.

Before he knew it, instinct kicked in, and Robin chose to oblige to its decisions, his blood pumping fast in his ears as his legs took him to her on their own accord. They had led him to kneel on one knee at the foot of the bed in front of the Queen. The very first time he had done so out of his own free will.

She regarded him with big quizzical eyes, she did not look mad or irritated, but simply curious and maybe a little - _no, it could not be_ \- scared?

She had her hands on her lap, fingers entwined with each other, knuckles bruised with a little red – the result of her punching the mirror- Robin could see her hands held on to one another with quite a little bit of force, he placed his own on top of them and said gently "You won't be then."

He could feel her hands relax under his touch, and the heartache he felt started to subside again. For a few moments they remained as they were, both sets of eyes fixated on their hands. Robin's thumb started to, ever so slowly, caress the back of one of her hands, the buzzing between their joined skin soothing and delicious. When he felt her hands relax completely, Robin took a leap of faith and took her right hand on his own. She did not fight back but gave him her hand, her eyes still fixed on them.

He gave her a soft, "_Come_," and tugged her hand ever so gently.

She looked up and met his eye, her own were still slightly reddened and moist, her normally impeccable black eye painting was smeared due to her tears, her cheeks had also taken a flushed tone of pink, and although her lips were completely deprived of artificial paint, they also bore a light, natural tone of red.

She looked raw and vulnerable, not at all put together, like he was accustomed to, but in Robin's eyes, she had never looked more beautiful.

He tugged her hand again, gesturing for her to join him on the floor. With those dark, brown orbs still fixed on him, piercing through him, she finally a move to do as he had bid her. Robin gave her some space so she could kneel in front of him. He was grateful they were kneeling not on the cold stone floor, but on top of a fur rug, for she already looked so wounded, it was odd for Robin to realize he wanted her to feel comfortable, needed for her to feel well again, he could not bear for her to feel any more pain. His hand was still holding hers, even after she managed to settle herself on the rug.

They were face-to-face, although she rested on both knees and he still supported his body on one, it somehow made it easier for her to settle herself absurdly close to him, he could feel the heat of her body even though their torsos were not touching. Robin extracted his hand from holding hers and used his thumb to wipe one of the many tears she had shed from her cheek. The Queen closed her eyes and sighed at the delicate small touch he was providing her. When his thumb left her cheek, he asked her in a mere whisper.

"Tell me your name."

Her eyes opened ever so slowly, her thick dark lashes moistened by her tears. Her stare was deep and Robin could see his question had somehow surprised her.

If it had surprised _her_, it had hit him like with the force of a hundred ogres. Had he just come to realize he did not even know her name? She had never given it to him, that was certain, and since she was the Queen, all addressed to her as 'your majesty', none had ever uttered her actual name in his presence.

Robin was rather baffled that, after knowing her for several months, having fucked her, argued with her, defended her, suffered at her hand, lived under the very same roof as her, helped her, kissed her, longed for her, hated her, cursed her, yelled at her face and called her by all the names one can come up with and yet, he did not know her name. He had always addressed to her as the Queen, using her title - _your majesty -_ with disdain for he despised royalty, always had.

And yet, he could not bring himself to leave this royal's side, somehow her allure had sucked him completely into her world, her resilience and strength had captured his infatuation, her biting challenging words enticed him, made him feel alive like never before. _Her_, this insane tormented woman who he did not even know what to call.

Robin felt as if he was holding his breath waiting for her response, it felt like hours but in reality, it only took her a few seconds to take in the question and part her lips to deliver her response.

"Regina. My name is Regina"


	18. Just this Once

**I am so sorry for the long wait for this chapter! Life is a bitch, but here it is! Special thank you to Emily for thoroughly beta-ing this for me and also to Jess who helped me a lot in developing some scenes! :)**

…

Regina was so angry her magic was practically spilling from her fingers as she made her way towards the thief's chambers. She could have poofed herself there, but at that moment, her magic was slightly out of control due to the overwhelming amount of feeling she was bearing. When she finally got to his door, however, it bore the brunt of all that bottled up rage.

It flew, it simply flew and Regina didn't give two shits about what it actually hit, if it was him, at this point, even better.

"_Tell the Queen she can fuck herself today."_

She had twisted the words out of that ridiculously small chamber-maid, and did not really remember what she had done to her after the revelation, Regina found she did not care in the least anyhow. All she knew was that her reality became red, and all she wanted to do was strangle the words out of the outlaw's lips, dare him to defy her in such a way to her face.

When she walked through the generous hole she had created in his wall, she noticed he was still in bed and with eyes half lidded and wrinkled sheets covering his limbs, which Regina found most indecent and attractive - his erection was quite noticeable, especially since he had a hand inside his trousers. He sat up, removing his hand from inside his pants, looking completely baffled at the remains of his door.

He looked confused and alluring, and Regina cursed herself for feeling so damn attracted to him, out of pure instinct, her magic worked almost on its own, making the heavy velvet curtains fly in his direction and hit him square in the face and chest. He went down with a loud exhale, which made Regina's chest swell with a dark kind of pleasure in hurting him somehow.

He was quick to fight the trappings of the curtains, and their eyes finally met when she stood at the foot of his bed, looking as livid as she felt. Although the feelings were only ignited when, after a mere look at her, the suicidal man, started laughing without any apparent reason.

"I fail to find anything funny about this situation," she remarked in a cold tone.

"Well you have not had a chance to look in the mirror this morning then?" he asked her amidst the laughter that Regina now began to understand the reasoning behind.

His words sent a new manner of anger rushing through her veins, it was cold and cruel, and for a split second – as she fisted her hands digging her nails deep inside her palms – she was taken back more than ten years into the past to a young woman's body, a young woman who just wanted to ride, _who just wanted to be free_.

_You cannot possibly be considering showing yourself out there like this!_ Her mother's cruel and judgmental words still stung. Regina could almost feel the coldness of her magic as she poofed away the riding clothes Regina wore in favor of a particularly tight dress.

The moment passed and Regina found herself with her heart beating fast with loathing – _for how dare he?_ – and her feet took steps on their own account so she could meet him toe to toe where he stood, that irritating smirk still painted on his lips.

"What is that supposed to mean?" a pathetic side of her hoped he had been referring to some other thing, Regina found it best to just ignore it, to gulp the insults and the disapproval down like she did with her mother.

"Oh, I wouldn't _dream_ to speak of it_, your majesty,_" he gave her, making his accent sound more poignant than ever, he was mocking her, and she quite simply could not have that.

"I would very much like to know the reason for this-" Regina tried her hardest to pull off a face of disdain, "-sudden _happiness,_"

"As I am sure you are well aware, your majesty, men in general normally wake up _happy_," he responded and had the nerve to wiggle his eyebrows.

Regina looked down at his more than evident 'morning merriment' and scoffed in order not to lick her lips, remembering the day before and what had almost happened before Maleficent showed up and spoiled her fun. She chose to put him down, as he was clearly defying her authority and Regina could not have that, no one had power over the Queen, most certainly not a common, gorgeous, irritating thief like him.

"Were you laughing at your small number of resources to alleviate said happiness?" she laughed a bitter laugh, but laughed at him nonetheless.

"No actually-" even though two fingers covered his lips, Regina could still see the damned grin on them, "-I merely thought Queens wore crowns, not jester hats."

Regina slapped him hard, Regina hit him with all the force she wished she could have used if she ever hit her mother for all the mean and cruel commentary she made constantly about her appearance. Always too meaty, too flushed, too happy, too comfortable, too simple, never good enough.

And how _dare_ this forest man, this savage, this _animal_ who has lived alone in the woods for Gods know how long, _dare_ say a word about her appearance?

She reveled in the fact he did not look as pleased with his pathetic humor after she gave him a little taste of the consequences of his merriment. Her hand stung a little because of the harsh contact but his cheek now bore a soft red tone she felt proud to have put there.

"How dare you speak to me like that?" her voice was dead serious, quiet and grave as she tried to conceal the hurt his words had caused her, the memories they had awakened.

"What?" he hissed at her, they were both so close all of a sudden, his hot breath hit her face as he continued to defy her, "Am I the only person in this entire castle brave enough to say the truth?"

_The truth?_

The fact that she was indeed unfitting and pathetic? Regina could once again hear Cora's voice inside her head, the cruel words that seemed to know no limit, the ruthless magic used to punish Regina whenever she took a breath at the wrong time. The constant displeasure in her mother's eyes, the mad glee they would carry whenever Regina relented and told her she would behave, that she would do as she was told. Those eyes that told her she would never be good enough, _always a disappointment_.

But the thief was not her mother, he should not have been able to make her feel this way. He should not have been able to cut this deep, to bring such awful memories she had suppressed with all her might back to the surface and make her feel oh so small and unworthy.

"_You're nothing_" she spat at him, trying to convince herself that he had not gotten under her skin.

Those words were the furthest thing from the truth, and yet, Regina knew deep inside that they would sting, that they would hurt him and that was what she intended on doing after he had jogged those awful memories of hers.

And yet, when his blue eyes widened, hurt quickly followed by anger pooling there, making the blue a few shades darker, his features twisted in an expression of nonbelief mixed with hurt she had never seen him wear.

Her heart hammered fast inside her chest as the moment hung silent between the pair. She had been a fool to think that the silence would last, she knew he was bound to do something, say something, but Regina was not expecting what came next.

She knew he was good at what he did, she knew he was fast and swift, which was why she had kept him around at the start. But Regina was startled, to say the least, when his strong hand wrapped itself around her neck and squeezed, his eyes so dark now, almost unrecognizable and yet, so familiar, as if she could see something there that she herself felt inside, _blind rage_.

Regina made a fruitless attempt to take a breath but his grip was mighty, his objective painfully clear, _kill her_.

In reflex she, unlike most that found themselves being strangled, stretched her fingers and commanded for her magic to come, to remove his hand and throw him violently against the bed, hard enough for the piece to crumble on top of him.

She concentrated on her anger, on her years of training, on what she had always relied on, and yet, nothing happened, her fingers were left aching from the strain and her lungs still empty of oxygen, and his hand still at work on killing her.

Her vision started to blur a little and Regina became dizzier with the lack of air. His hand was sending mocking electricity jolts to her neck, and Regina tried to make a small sound telling him '_Stop_' but it did not come out as she had planned.

Time seemed to stand still as she thought back to when – only twenty-four hours ago – she had thought he was trying to stab her, when in reality, he only wanted to divest her. How terrified and angry she had been at herself, for letting him in, for letting him see parts of her she had not dared share with anyone, of how foolish she had felt.

And now, now that he was actually succeeding in killing her all the anger seemed to have been drained, her brain was hazy. Her vision so blurred as she thought of how vicious, how cruel, how ironic fate was that it made her cross paths with him, and that she was finally going to meet her end at the hands of the man who made her feel most alive.

Regina was going to die, and suddenly her heart swelled with the prospect that in death she would finally be able to see her Daniel again. She was going to be reunited with her long lost love after so long, after so much suffering, after so much pain, he was going to be there for her again. Her Daniel and his sincere, loving blue eyes. She could already see the blue, but they belonged to another man, one who had snaked his way into Regina's affections and now was giving her a way to be reunited with the love of her life.

_But she did not want to go_

Regina's body, by this point, was almost entirely numb due to the lack of oxygen in her blood, and yet, she felt a single tear fall from her eye. She was not sure why she was shedding it, if it was for Daniel, for herself, or for _him_. All she knew was that it felt like a goodbye, like something was detaching itself from her, if she was saying goodbye to life – and to the man standing before her – or if she was saying goodbye to a being reunited with Daniel which she had always hoped for, she could not say.

To her utter surprise, suddenly, the pressure on her neck was gone, his fingers did not dig into her skin with mad force but slid down to her collarbone. Regina was so shocked that she simply started back at him, even though she could hardly see him through the haze. She did not take a single breath, even though he had already released her from his deadly grip. Regina was so shocked it took her a few seconds to believe he had stopped and consequently she only took her first breath a few moments after he had released his hold.

Air invaded her lungs and it stung, she could not help but cough as the essential element invaded her system once more, it overwhelmed her at first, made her draw her gaze from the man standing before her for a few seconds.

Once she was breathing normally again, she lifted her head to meet his eye, her vision now clear as day as she met the intense blue of his stare. His hand still rested on her collarbone and Regina found it odd that she did not shove it away or disintegrate it – after all, it had been the weapon for her near demise – but let him rest it there, feeling rather comfortable with the buzzing it created on her skin, that alive feeling only he, much to her dismay, was able to provide her.

"I may work for you-" his voice broke the silence, it was croaky and low, "-but I am _not_ your pet,"

Regina still did not feel much like herself, as consciousness came back to her, she stared back at him taking in his words and trying to understand the meaning behind everything that had transpired in the last minute. Her voice was a mere whisper, "I never said that," because _no_, she had _never_ said that. She most certainly knew what it was to use a man as her pet but she had never thought of _him_ as one.

He seemed to have taken in her words with a little bit of surprise and Regina did not know how to feel about that, how to feel about him, their proximity, this odd thing they shared, his hand still burned holes of delicious electricity on her collarbone. For a little while, they simply stood there, without uttering a single word and unmoving. She could see a million questions go by his eyes, but Regina was still overwhelmed trying to process the way she had felt in her near death experience.

She stared back at him all the same, until he was not able to meet her gaze, he turned his eyes down to his hand, which still rested on her collarbone, and Regina could swear she felt shame radiate from his palm, even though she knew that was impossible. His hand moved up her neck after a few moments, his calloused fingers traced the tender – and bruised – skin there until they reached her chin and his eye met hers once more.

He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out and Regina had to wonder what it was that he was repressing, what it was that he was leaving unsaid. Apparently incapable of using words, he brought his palm to her cheek – she could see that his own still carried the red marking of her slap – his face suddenly painted with doubt but also amazement.

Regina was actually amazed herself when she felt his thumb start to stroke her cheek ever so lightly. His eyes were oh so very clear then, they carried such a different manner of blue than a couple of minutes ago, and Regina could not help but relax under his soothing touch – even though it was crazy to be soothed by the hand which had nearly almost yanked her from the land of the living.

A small sigh escaped her lips and it seemed to bring some awareness to his oddly distant gaze, his fingers were on her chin as he tilted it up ever so slightly, and his teeth bit down his lower lip, making her gaze fly right to his enticing mouth, the electricity shared between them almost drugging her with bliss.

_Gods she wanted him_

The dimples, the smiles, his strong arms around her, his woodsy scent, his alluring presence, his annoying words, his groans of pleasure, his fast fingers, his expert tongue, his dry humor, his soothing touch, his dark heart-

Regina knew then that she was fucked, so she might as well enjoy him while she could.

With that resolute thought in mind, Regina closed the distance between her lips and his own with a hungry kiss, biting hard at his lower lip before kissing him again, although her hands did not budge from her side, as if she was being led by some alien pull between their lips. He was quick to respond to her abrupt advances, as always, and snaked his fingers through her hair, whilst she sighed deeply, opening her mouth to welcome his delicious tongue.

As she felt his soft tongue against her own, something snapped inside her, and the haze that had dominated her mind finally completely cleared. She knew, she should back away, slap him again, curse him into oblivion for what he had attempted to do, and yet, she found herself incapable of going through anything else but continuing to kiss and kiss that unnerving man. She knew why he had done it, she had pulled the string, a string she knew would wound him, Regina only did not know it would pierce deeply enough for him to turn hurt into rage, but then again, that was exactly what _she_ did herself, so Regina should not have been _that_ surprised.

She felt his taunt, muscular arms beneath her palms as she slid them up until she reached the back of his neck, bringing his half-naked body closer, and crushing his bare torso to her front. Regina wanted him, suddenly she had an image of hiding his head beneath her skirts and riding his face until she exploded with pleasure, and that only enticed her more. Soon she was taking step after step, blindly leading him to his bed.

She was hungry for him, after yesterday's more than heated events, he had left behind a fire in her that only grew. She attacked his neck, biting, kissing, and cursing him inwardly so much for driving her crazy with desire. She had never been like this with any other man, she had always been happy at the prospect of getting physical with the agreeing gentleman she had taken as lovers throughout her married years, but _this_ was getting out of control.

Before she knew it, she could feel his hand pressuring her sex through the heavy leather of her trousers and Regina could not help but release an agreeing moan against the now flushed skin of his neck. Her hips responded to his movements on instinct, bucking forward so she could meet him as fiercely as she could.

His working hand down below made it very difficult for Regina to continue to ravage his neck as he, even through the fabrics of her clothes, was able to make her dizzy with desire. She was able to bring her lips to the shell of his ear and slur '_Yes_' urging him to continue whilst she opened her legs further, welcoming his touch, allowing him to undo her yet again, _she must have completely lost her mind_.

With his every new contact, Regina would delight herself in nipping at his earlobe and sometime pulling at it, soft moans flying unbidden from her lips. A particularly strong move drew a mewl from her lips and before she knew it she was sucking the back of his ear, words that commanded he did not stop almost tumbling from her half parted lips, when yet another voice interrupted them;

This time, however, it was no bearer of magic but simply a very startled looking guard. The spell was broken and Regina took it as a sign, a warning that she had much more important plans to take care of before she could satisfy herself with the thief. She sent the guard away, who was probably thanking his lucky stars she did not fry him on the spot, and commanded that the man, who had nearly killed her as well as nearly given an unusual orgasm, that he should meet her by the well of the Northern Woods.

She needed to take care of things, and time was running out, she needed to be quick if she wished to catch the children red handed.

…

I had been easier than Regina had initially thought; the father had done her the courtesy of leaving his two brats alone in the woods, so capturing him without his little ones seeing it had been almost pathetically easy.

Regina then, had moved on to the children, and she still did not know what had possessed her to approach them in such an awful way. They had been scared stiff of her, as everybody else in this entire Enchanted Forest was, but she needed them in order to get what she wanted. But Regina could not help but wonder if _that_ had been the best way to convince the children to do her bidding, if scaring them out of their wits had been the wisest choice.

But she should not worry for their feelings towards her, it was no matter now, they had agreed to doing something for her in exchange for her help in finding their father, little did they know said father was now screaming his lungs out inside her dungeons.

She had found the thief leaning against the well, just as she had instructed, and felt her heart stop beating altogether when she saw he was just about to take a generous bite of an apple. She knew it was irrational and ridiculous, for _that_ was not the apple she sought, but Regina's fingers suddenly wrapped themselves around the fruit and she squashed it into oblivion, just like she had done with so many hearts before.

His manner was annoyed and dismissive at first, making inquiries she did not dignify with answers as to what she planned on doing with the young pair trailing behind them. But then he had surprised her for what seemed to be the thousandth time that day by uttering words that sounded very much like he regretted having attacked her earlier that day.

For a split second her heart swelled with an odd unusual feeling she immediately blocked by uttering harshly "I've had worse encounters, thief."

The statement was painfully true, she remembered growing up with a mother who possessed the most disgusting manner of dark magic. Even in her young years, she was able to feel the scent of her sorcery, an odd metallic gold mixed with something undeniably dry. She would feel the stench that made her sometimes dizzy invade her nostrils whenever her mother felt Regina need some disciplining. Mother had never had many reservations about using her foul magic on Regina whenever she felt like she was not living up to her impossible expectations.

To being married to a man thrice her age and having been forced to share his bed for a whole year before her magical training allowed her to find a way to rid herself of having to repeat that atrocious and invasive act with the disgusting man she had been married to.

The thief's attempt of her life, compared to what she had been through during all those years, had almost felt like an act of mercy.

The mere thought of those memories made Regina's heart heavy, and she was eager to change the subject, so she chose to inform the man that _no_, she was not going to use the children as potion ingredients.

"That's rather relieving to hear-" he had commented after cleaning his throat, "- I was just about to tell you I drew a line at children."

That statement alone intrigued her, "Is that so?"

"Everyone's got a soft spot," he told her, surprising her even more that he would use such an expression, there was most certainly nothing _soft_ about him, which unfortunately immediately reminded Regina of their earlier exchange.

She could not hold back a quiet laugh and comment, "I thought your soft spot was inside your pants." And _oh how she wanted to just take off those pants of his and-_

"Well, don't you know your fair share about that one-" he told her, he scrutinized her up and down in a way that if his had possessed magic, it would have divested her on the spot.

Regina had to throw a bucket of ice water on this conversation, if their banter went on, she would be on him after a few move heated glances. "Indeed" she replied, and took a deep breath in order to calm her more base cravings and focus on the mission at hand.

They walked in silence after that. They reached the sticky sweet house a brief while after and all manner of questions were asked. Regina told the children what they needed to know, she was pretty sure that were she to be completely honest with the pair, they would probably never agree to enter the house.

She did feel it was necessary for the thief to know what they would be up against once the Sun was down, so she had puffed them back to the well, and filled him in with the gruesome story Maleficent had shared with her the day before. She was somewhat relieved to see that he shared the same disgust she had for the crazy blind woman as soon as he heard what really happened inside the sticky house.

Something inside her had told her he could not possibly think that the whole affair was normal or be completely indifferent about it, but the nagging, impish voice in her head insisted on telling her he was a heartless man with no feelings, that he would not be moved.

But the imp was wrong, it had to be wrong, Regina knew that somehow that thief was able to feel _something_, even without his heart. Otherwise said man would not have attempted to take her life after she had uttered words that were meant to hurt him, and then kissed her as if there was no tomorrow a few minutes after said attempt.

"Nothing will happen to them, you have my word." He had told her and somehow she knew he meant it.

"Who knew a thief had honor?" she could not help but raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"Who knew an Evil Queen had a soft spot for children?" he gave as good as he got and that was one of the many unnerving reasons why she-

She stopped that dangerous train of thought by warning him, trying to shake off the warm feeling inside her chest she got every time he was able to steal a smile (even if it was inward) from her. "Don't get too cocky outlaw-" she got closer to him, preferring to trail along the path of lust instead of stumbling along her unresolved feelings, "-remember I know what your other soft spot is," she licked her lips in a way she knew it would distract him and wake him up down below.

She was not surprised that it worked just as she thought it would. While his eyes stole away to her lips, Regina was able to clear her head and back away from his personal space, "Keep your eye on those two during the rest of the day, and do not for a second take your eyes and aim away from the witch once they're inside the house." She turned around as if to leave but turned back to deliver, "And if there's any trouble and the witch does indeed wake up, rend her and bring her to me. She has no powers when the Sun is out, I'm sure you and two children can manage-" she gesticulated with her hands and was gone at the next second in a cloud of purple smoke.

…

Regina did not know what had brought her back there, but after a few hours, she was back at the Northern Forest. She had cast a glamour spell on herself and rounded the sweet house. It was late afternoon, the sun bound to set in half an hour or so, but Regina found herself just behind the sticky edifice, where no sunlight whatsoever reached. The odd gray and dark green of the forest had the most awful contrast with the bright pinks and yellows and blues that decorated the house, Regina started feeling nauseated just by standing so close to it.

The place smelled like death. Very few could actually identify this particular smell, one had to have had another's life in their grip, had to be the one to decide between life or death, and make the conscious decision to extinguish it to know what death truly smelled like. This place reeked of it.

The thief and the children were on other side of the house and a little further away from it, they could not see her even if she didn't have the glamor. There were no windows on this side of the house, but there was a backdoor Regina was not stupid enough to try to open, but what really caught her eye and made Regina's bile rise rested just beside the chocolate-made door.

She had seen her fair share of atrocities in her time, her magical training had been no picnic. She had killed, she had tortured, she had poisoned, but _this_ was something else altogether, _this_ made Regina _sick_. A pile bones rested against the surface of the wall just beside the door that had a blindingly round yellow handle make out of candy. Some of the small bones were smeared with the pink colored whipped cream that decorated the wall, which only made the image more haunting.

As she inspected the pile further it was clear that the wee bones had been thrown there carelessly. The only thing left behind after the rest had been consumed. Regina felt her cheeks burn with anger. She was so horrified, that, for a moment she did not move, her eyes fixed on the small heap of what had been left of-

She took a deep breath, inhaling death and sugar, and she took step after step towards the mortifying pile. The bones had been tossed there, as if they had no importance at all, and Regina could not help but let a small tear escape her when she saw the size of some of them. Wee things that must have belonged to three year olds, five year olds, innocent children that were lured by this soulless-

Her thoughts were interrupted by noises coming from inside the house. Regina knew the witch was still awake, she could feel her strange magic, very strange indeed, for it was not altogether dark. She took a generous breath and could sense the magic around the house sticky and sweet, and at the same time strangely powdery. Regina could have been mistaken, for she was standing beside a house made out of sweets, but this witch's magic smelled oddly familiar. Unfortunately, she had no time to sniff any longer for if Regina could smell her magic, the blind witch most certainly could smell _hers_.

Regina rounded the house and walked until she found where the thief and the children were waiting out for the sun to set. She was not surprised to see that irritating girl still trying to make that old, broken down compass work. What did astound her was the fact that the outlaw was sat by a tree and the young boy, Hansel was his name, sat beside him, and they seemed to be engaging in conversation.

Curiosity got the best of her, and Regina placed a silencing spell on herself, knowing the thief's ears would be able to pick up her invisible paces, and approached the pair.

Regina stood behind the tree they were sitting by, and picked up the outlaw's words just as he was asking, "-did you see me smile?" the man sounded honestly curious, his tone was slightly different when talking to the boy, Regina was intrigued.

"When you were talking to the Queen," the younger voice belonging to Hansel replied, and Regina was shocked to hear that statement, the boy went on, "She smiled at you too." Regina's eyes widened at the information as she tried to eavesdrop at the pair while trying to remember when she had smiled at that forest man for those children to see.

"She looked pretty when she smiled at you." The young boy's voice continued to sound, and something odd tugged on Regina's chest once again, "She didn't look pretty when she smiled at me and Gretel, she looked scary." And once again Regina had to wonder why she had gone crazy witch on the children who had just lost their father.

_Why was she going so soft on them anyway?_

_I already told you why dearie, because that thief is making you weak_, the impish voice mocked.

_Regina you never cease to disappoint, do stop associating yourself with lowly people, it is so unattractive, it makes you look so common_, her mother, she could finally tell the Queen without a heart was her mother. The venomous voice of the woman she had sent through a mirror laughed at her.

_**Nothing is worth the loss of a child**_, a greater, stronger voice quieted the two former.

"Are you scared of her?" it was the thief's voice that brought her from her internal battle.

"Yes," she nearly missed the boy's response since his voice had gone quiet.

"The Queen is not as bad as she looks," now _THAT_ took her completely by surprise, he did not have to defend her, he should have been retaliating her, telling the boy how awful she was, how she had ripped out his heart and kept it inside a box and yet, he did no such thing.

Because in Regina's conception she was even worse than she looked, her face a mere beautiful façade for she was evil, just like her step daughter had labeled her, evil and cruel. The darkness had feasted on her and now she would forever be tainted with it. And yet, _that man_, he had-

The thief opened his mouth to speak again but Regina felt she would do something she would regret were he to utter another word in her defense, for she did not deserve it. So she puffed herself from the sight of _that_ man and a child that looked like he believed him, looked like he would give a second chance. That sight mixed with the words exchanged between the pair left an idea in the back of Regina's mind.

…

Regina arrived back at her castle with a million ideas buzzing inside her head, thoughts mingling with one another. She did not know if she should focus on the fact that the children were about to attain the cursed apple, or if she should think over the conversation she had listened to between the young boy and the thief. And still, a stinging arrow that seemed to have attached itself to her heart would twist every time she remembered the sight of the bone pile just outside the witch's house.

She fought hard not to try to imagine the glee inside those poor children's eyes when they saw the miraculous house made out of candy and how their stomachs lured them into that deadly trap.

Suddenly uncertainty dominated Regina and she felt ice cold, her heart nearly froze, and she wondered if the outlaw's protection was indeed enough? What if those two children met the same fate as all the others before them? What if something happened to Robin-?

"Sweetheart?" a kind voice from behind her startled Regina out of her musings.

She quickly turned around to see her father's old but worried eyes staring back at her, "Daddy!" she exclaimed nervously, her heart now beating quickly thanks to the small scare, "I told you to always knock!" she reprimanded him angry.

"My dear," he looked apologetic, as he always did – _oh Gods, why did she treat her own father so?_ \- "You just poofed yourself into my room," he told her, gesticulating with his arms for her to look around, there was not a drop of accusation in his voice, "I was already here, I'm sorry I startled you."

She felt her heart sink and took a good look around. Yes, she had appeared in her father's spacious chambers, she could see the sun finally beginning to set through the window and swallowed. The reason why she had landed in this particular room was completely unknown to her.

Regina looked back at her father, he may not have been the strongest, he may not have been able to protect her from her mother's wrath, but he was here, he had always been there, always willing to give what he was able to offer.

Without him… Well, she was most certain she would have thrown herself out of the highest tower of that castle in her first married year if it weren't for her father's presence.

"I'm sorry Daddy," Regina brought her fingers to her forehead and closed her eyes whilst she continued to speak, "I have not been quite myself today,"

He approached her and brought both his hands to her shoulders, tugging lightly, asking for permission to take off her coat as he said, "What is it my dear?" she unbuttoned the front of her cape and let him take it off, "What's bothering you?"

Regina felt lighter already by the mere fact of not having the heavy leather atrocity hanging on her body – sometimes she wondered why she wore such uncomfortable clothes – she twisted her neck to the left until it gave a loud snap and sighed at the small relief. She then replied, her eyes still closed, "I don't even know."

"Would you like something to drink?" her father asked.

Regina opened her eyes then, the sun now a mere strip on the horizon, bathing only a small portion of the room with light. With a wave of her hand, several candles in the room lit by themselves, filling her father's chambers with a warm fiery glow. She turned to face him once more, he was still holding her heavy coat and looked so very small, and a little scared. He had always looked a little apprehensive but Regina found herself wishing that the look on his face, the fear she saw in his eyes, were not of her.

Henry folded the coat as best as he could and rung a servant that stood just by the door outside. Regina watched him as he exchanged a few words with the servant, handing them her coat and then turned back to look at her.

Had she done this? Had she turned her own father into a servant? Had she sunk so low? This was all wrong, this made her no better than her mother and Regina was not her mother, she would never be so heartless-

"No daddy," she replied and took a few steps until she was standing before him. She made to take his hand, but gave up at the last minute, the gesture, however, did not go unnoticed by her father, "I do not want anything to drink." She turned around hastily, embarrassed that she had found herself incapable of a mere tender gesture towards her father, and headed towards the dark blue chaise nearby and sat down.

There was a moment of silence in which Regina stared at her lap while her father still stood where she had left him, her thoughts still haunting her. _Had they gotten the apple? Were they hurt? How was she going to get a sleeping curse? Why had the thief defended her? What was he to her after all? Why did she get the niggling feeling her father was afraid of her? Had she indeed turned out just like her mother? Was that why her father now wore fright in his eyes? Had her father always been like this? Cowardly and scared, always looking down, always obeying. Or had her mother destroyed the man he once was?_

"Do you ever regret marrying mother?" it was out of her mouth before she could truly pounder if she should ask such a question from her father.

Her father coughed in response, obviously startled that Regina would ask such a thing, but once his breathing had evened out, he took a few steps in order to get closer to where she sat. This time he looked at her differently, his eyes were once again gentle and kind.

"I did not have a say in the matter of my marriage, my dear." He gave her.

_Neither did I_, the young woman with braided hair immediately shot back, angry.

There was a moment of silence in which Regina first realized how similar her own situation had been to her father's, "I know." She said simply, looking back at her lap, somehow ashamed of having asked the question altogether.

These quiet moments with him always had a way of reverting her back to that little girl so keen for her father's attention.

"But I don't regret it." His voice rang again, this time firmer and louder than before, it made Regina bring her eyes back to his figure.

"Why?" Regina could not help but ask, incredulous that he would not regret even crossing paths with her horrid mother.

Her father gave her a smile that deepened Regina's frown; he took a few steps until he was standing beside her, "Because she gave me something very precious."

Regina was beyond puzzled, "What?"

Her father gave her a sad smile and took her chin in his fingers, lifting it a little, "You, my dear."

Regina felt a strong pang in her heart, as if she had been hit by an arrow. But this time, unlike so many others in which she felt her heart being pierced, it did not sting, it was warm with affection. She was stunned for a second. Regina had thought of herself so unworthy of that manner of sentiment that somewhere along the way, she had forgotten there was one who still truly cared, one who would love her unconditionally, she had just been too blind to see it.

"Me?" she asked with a soft whimper.

His fingers slipped up her face to cup her cheek and Henry let out a small laugh, "Yes, you my child," he held her for a beat, before removing his palm from her cheek and taking her hand in his as he sat beside her on the chaise, "The day you were born, was the happiest day of my life."

He brought his other hand up and wiped a tear that had trailed down Regina's cheek that she had not felt being created or shed, "When I first looked at you, so tiny, so fragile inside that crib-" he ran the pad of his thumb over her cheek once, "-and you looked up at me with those big brown eyes that looked just like mine, my breath was taken away."

Henry then gave her a soft smile and brought his other hand down to take hers as well.

"Being a parent changes your perspective on things-" he told her, "-it's not just about you anymore, there's this small, giggly gift you've been given." He squeezed both her hands in his and Regina's heart felt light for the very first time that entire day.

For the first time in quite a while.

He stuttered a little while he continued, "I, I _know_ I have not been the strongest, or the bravest," he looked deeply into her eyes, his own begging for acceptance she was more than willing to give, "-but I will always be by your side my dear child, no matter what happens."

She smiled at his words, touched in a way that warmed something cold in her heart, but then that warmth froze over again as she remembered, the memory painfully vivid. Mother and a swift slap to her face and the searing sting of a ring tearing into the flesh of her upper lip.

_By your side_, her father's words echoed in her head.

He had been there in that occasion, but had done near to nothing to protect Regina from Cora's wrath. Only coming into action when her upper lip bled horribly and the pain of it almost made Regina faint. She had been but fourteen years old.

Now he promised he would be by her side, and yet, he had never stood up for her when she had needed him the most.

She did not free her hands from his, but rather leaned the side of her head to her father's shoulder, something she had not done in years, and whispered, "Thank you, Daddy," it was all she could muster, otherwise she knew more tears would follow the lone one he had wiped away.

"Always, my dear," he gave her, and placed a single loving kiss on the top of her head. Regina felt herself relax even more with the exchange and sunk a little further into her father's embrace, feeling comfortable and oddly safe there.

_By your side._

_By my side._

It bounced around in her head, mocking her, ridiculing her, _them_, this very moment of quiet as they sat together for a few more minutes. Warring thoughts raced through her mind, and Regina shook her head inwardly before choosing to simply breathe in the comforting presence of her father. She knew he wasn't the strongest or the most brave or the sharpest tongued of people, but something he had that Regina could not find in herself was kindness, and he _loved_ her, _that_ was something Regina could not do. She hated herself sometimes even more than she hated Snow White, Leopold, her mother and Rumpelstiltskin all together, and yet, her father loved her.

_Love is weakness_, her mother's voice echoed again between her ears.

If love was weakness and kindness was a product of love, she only had to take one glimpse at her father to see he was _weak_, and weak she would _never_ be. He had done the best he could, even if his best had brought them here.

His best hadn't been enough.

Her thoughts were brought to the father she had imprisoned in order to get his children to do her bidding. He had left the pair there, in the middle of those dangerous woods, the only protection he had left behind was a silly compass. He couldn't have _cared_, not truly cared about those two, if he did, he would not have left them behind, would he?

His best hadn't been enough either.

Regina knew for a fact that her own father would have never left her alone to fare for herself, ever. Her mother? Regina thought her mother capable of anything in order to get what she wanted. Cora would have abandoned her in the woods with no way of protecting herself, even as a babe, if she were able to see the future and glimpse at what a disappointment Regina would turn out to be.

Regina's best had never been enough either.

…

Regina's brief but significant exchange with her father had aided in making her head more of a confused mess. She had left his chambers after a while and gone to the throne room, again forgoing magical transportation and simply walking there. On the journey, she was only met by fear filled eyes belonging to her servants and knights, but she barely registered them.

She opened the heavy wooden doors and stared at the deserted throne room. It was mainly dark, only a few candles were lit, which did very little to illuminate the space, but Regina rather liked the ambiance it gave to this particular room. The place had once been filled with laughter and joy. The only problem with that was that merriment had never touched her, and the happy people who had once been within these walls had been the reason behind it. She detested every single one of them, especially the one who had sat higher. The one who had taken the little light that had been left within Regina after she had lost her true love.

She stared at the two vacant seats ahead, the King's stood a little higher than the Queen's, it was broader and much more imposing than the bland one that had belonged to Regina over the past ten years. A soft smile played on her red colored lips as she remembered the very last time she saw Leopold alive, he had been in agony and she had been at the top of the world.

She took a few steps until she stood directly in front to the high seat belonging to the King and regarded it for a beat before using her magic to send it flying to its crashing demise against the grey, stone wall to her left.

A satisfied smile played on Regina's lips as she studied the remains of what used to be one of Leopold's strongest symbols of power. Now it was in pieces, _dust_, just like him.

Regina then turned her attention towards the bland throne she had been given. She accessed her anger and waved her hand making red colored magic, the enchantment covered the piece and in Regina's eyes, cleansed it. The spell was quite literally making her throne change skins, peeling out the old, plain wood and bringing to the surface something that had been in hiding for far too long.

Regina smirked at her handy work when the red, misty magic finally dissipated, the chair was no longer straight-ended and simple, but now the wood was several shades darker and carved with exquisite patterns, the cushions no longer blue but blood red. For, if it was up to Regina, _nothing_ that carried the memory of her late husband would last in _her_ castle.

She took a seat and it felt right. It felt _hers_. She was the Queen, she was in charge, and she would rule as she damn well pleased, and even if those nagging thoughts still plagued her mind, they could not take away from this moment. Regina got comfortable on her seat and conjured a glass of wine, which was quickly drained and properly refilled thanks to a spell Maleficent had taught her. Regina drank and tried to clear her head of those controversial things she had been feeling earlier.

Just as she finished her second glass, she felt it, a pull at the heart. At first, it was faint but it became stronger and stronger as the seconds flew. It was a strange sense of connection and Regina was afraid to admit she knew just why – and because of whom – she had been feeling this sensation.

She commanded for the doors to open with her magic and there he was, the thief who plagued most of her thoughts and the two children she had mixed feelings towards. Regina quickly noted that things had not gone so smoothly when a fourth person came into the room, carrying a fifth party, who wore a dress that was in tatters and had yellow, messy hair; the witch no doubt.

"It took you long enough," she commented, trying to sound as disinterested as possible.

The girl was quick to forego any kind of ceremony and went straight to the point giving away the satchel and demanding she helped as she had promised. And even though just the feel of the dark magic the apple possessed fueled Regina with thoughts of how she was going to have Snow eat it – even she had to shove it down her throat – Regina's curiosity got the best of her.

She used her magic to awaken the strange witch and make her stand, as Regina herself stood to take a better look at this despicable creature. She had not had a chance to look at the woman's face up until this point and the view was in one word grotesque. She had a young face, Regina was sure that once she had been rather beautiful, but not anymore, her skin was whiter than Snow's – which in itself was rather disturbing – and chalky, her eyes a pool of white, if the flesh contouring her eyes was not so red, one might not know what was skin and what was not.

She had angry scars under her eyes Regina knew upon sight that the witch had created herself. Being cursed with anything – as this witch was cursed with blindness – was a rather painful process; Regina knew that first hand, her magical training had not been a picnic.

"Who taught you magic?" Regina asked brusquely.

"Mother-" she responded, and Regina's ears ached, she sounded like a damn siren, sweet, melodic voice that lured people to their death.

"The Blue Witch?" Regina did not believe her.

"My mother whispers spells-" the blind witch replied and Regina knew that was not possible.

"You're lying," she spat back, "The Blue Witch died not long after she blinded and outcast you!"

It was well known that the Blue Witch had died if not a month after she had punished her daughter with blindness and isolation; it was not possible that she had been the one teaching magic to this crazed animal. But before Regina could say anything else the witch spoke again, this time in a dream like voice.

"Mother said-" the Blind Witch shook her head to the side and completed, "-magic or baby," she tilted her head to the side and continued in a quiet tone, "I said _baby._" Her face lit up with joy, only to twist into a frown as she continued, "Mother gave me magic instead-" she placed her hands on her stomach, "I lost it, I lost my little one, my hands were buzzing with sparkles but I felt the warmth of my little one leave me forever-"

Regina could only stare at that unbelievable creature in surprise. Deadly silence filled the room, and although the feeling of compassion started growing in Regina's chest – after all she knew only too well what it was to be manipulated by her own mother – she knew there was something amiss in this whole story.

"Your mother died a long time ago Rapunzel-" Regina herself was surprised by the tone her voice took, softer, understanding.

"_Mother_-" she said quietly, "Mother was there-" she nodded to herself, "I was alone in the swamp-" she stopped midsentence and shook her head then, "No! I had my little one inside, but saw only black until mother appeared-" she widened her disturbingly white eyes, "Then-" she outstretched her hand as if to touch an invisible something ahead of her, "- a light of blue danced in the air. As if she had wings, as if she flew before me-" her arm dropped and she finished, "_Mother_"

_BLUE? A blue light ball flying around?_ This was all the evidence Regina needed, she had known the smell of that particular brand of magic before, dusty, sweet and _light _but not _white_ – for there were several shades of gray between black and white magic. After all, Regina had once been friends with one of those shining moths-

Regina's train of thought was interrupted as the witch continued to speak.

"I wanted the little one back-" she whined, nearly crying, "Mother said-" she straightened up her posture as if imitating the motherly figure, "The only way to do that-" she had changed her voice almost completely for the imitation, "-is to put the baby back into your belly."

Regina felt _sick_, and they called _her_ evil. That _blue insect_ might not have any blood on her hands, but she most certainly had been the puppet master behind this whole story. The real question though was why, why had she doomed this already unhinged creature into doing something so vile, so unspeaking?

Regina had never trusted fairies, even as a little girl. For she had asked, pleaded, and cried at her windowsill, begging for a fairy godmother's help, so Cora would be kind instead of cruel. Her prayers were never answered, no one ever came to help her, and no one came to save her. Tinkerbell had saved her from the fall, she figured that was the only reason why she had trusted her back then, but at the end, the fairy had been wrong. Regina could not help but wonder what Blue had done to punish Tinkerbell once she found out she had stolen pixie dust. Seeing what the _Good Blue Fairy_ had done to Rapunzel, who apparently had been without evil, made a shiver run up her spine and Regina felt guilt plague at her heart.

"The children you eat will little by little-" the witch continued and Regina wanted to hear no more of that gruesome story, "-_little by little_-" she repeated with a child-like tone, "-become your little one."

There were no words to express how disgusted and enraged this made Regina feel, she pursed her lips and gave the witch, "No-" her voice having gone down, "That was _not_ your mother." She thought of that flimsy Blue Fairy, and how she had always put up a façade of the good doer, and finished "But I think I know _who_."

She turned her back on the witch and ordered for the guard who had brought her in to take her to a cell, for being hit with this new information had ignited a new brand of curiosity in Regina, and she wanted peace to think and not that siren-like voice to disturb her. She would question the crazy woman later and get to the bottom of all this-

Peace was something Regina was apparently not getting, for all of sudden, the insane witch pounced on soldier Williams and started mumbling strange words of love and calling out for an 'Eugene.' Regina watched in utter confusion as the woman got to her knees and sniffed the now petrified man.

"What is the meaning of _this_?" she asked more to herself.

It was only when the thief uttered, "She thinks he's the father to her child, her lover-" that Regina realized he was standing right beside her.

"What?" Regina asked trying to understand what he meant.

"She did the same to me," he gave her simply.

A strange surge of jealousy invaded Regina's chest at the thought that that _thing_ had done anything remotely similar to what she was doing to Williams to her outlaw, "You let her _sniff_ you?" the question was out of her lips before she could hold it back.

He regarded her for a beat, as if not believing what she had just asked, he shook his head and retold, "She grabbed me, and paralyzed me somehow back in that sticky house." Regina was trying very hard not to imagine the scene, she was failing miserably, "I was quickly able to break free but not before she also called me by that name." Regina nodded and he continued, "She's blind your majesty! Don't you see? Her smelling sense must have been heightened somehow, she can tell types of people apart only by smelling them." Even though it made sense, this theory was completely insane, "She attributes the male scent to her lost lover, children's scent to her lost baby."

Regina had to admit she was rather impressed, although she had always known he was as cunning as a fox. She swallowed and told him, "Rid Williams of her."

The thief did as he was told and yanked the witch away from Williams and dismissed him. It took Williams a few seconds for the words to sink in and for movement to come to his limbs and leave.

When he did, the blind woman on the floor started crying out for the man to be returned to her and Regina found the sight pitiful, awful and degrading. The witch started to struggle against the outlaw, and Regina placed another spell on her so she would be still once more.

This creature, as foul and as awful as her deeds had been, was merely a victim. She had been toyed with and manipulated, her crazy condition had been worsened by what that _blue_ _mosquito_ had made her do. Regina knew that there was no way anyone could repair the damage that had been done to her mind and body.

Regina thought about that morning and how the prospect of being reunited with Daniel had eased her pain, had brought her a strange sense of happiness, even if it had been for a brief moment. Rapunzel's mother was dead, so was her lover and her unborn child-

She met the thief's eyes and he gave her an understanding look, as if he had been thinking the very same thing as her, he nodded and Regina somehow knew he understood what he was to do even before she finally uttered, "End her misery."

He was swift and merciful, giving the witch's throat a single slash that would kill instantly. The witch made an awful noise as if she was drowning in her own blood but then was silent. Locksley let go of the woman's hair and she landed forehead first on the floor, staining the grey pavement with angry, crimson, dead.

Regina felt oddly alleviated by their attitude. She saw it as mercy. There was nothing left in this world for that witch but pain and misery, maybe she would be able to find peace in death. Regina was glad that her feelings seemed to be mirrored in the thief's eyes. He knew, he understood.

Their moment was interrupted by a high-pitched scream. She looked up from the gruesome sight to remember that the children had been there this entire time and that this had probably been the first time that they had witnessed murder.

Regina took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, remembering the plans she had been indulging herself in making for the children and turned to the thief. "Have someone take _that_ away Locksley-" she placed her fingers on her temple, "-after that you are dismissed." She opened her eyes then and completed, "I need to attend to _this_ unfinished business." Regina motioned towards the two children with her hands and brought on her magic to transport them elsewhere before she could hear any reply from the outlaw.

…

"Why do I get the feeling that one of you did not follow my instructions?" Regina asked the young pair eying them suspiciously. The girl had lost that glint of audacity and the boy was paler than ever, seeing murder first hand would do that.

There was a moment of silence in which Regina's gaze reprimanded the pair. It was highly improbable that the outlaw had been the one to take a bite out of the chocolate door. Regina could smell death in that house and was certain that so could he, so even if he had been starving, he would not have indulged on anything that disgusting house could offer.

Regina was surprised to hear the young boy speak, even it was in his quietest tone, " 'm sorry."

The girl's head quickly snapped towards her brother, she gave him a 'be quiet' look, and Regina felt her heart sink a little for those two lost souls, they were alone now in the world. Even though she had captured the father, it had been _his_ decision to leave them in the first place. They deserved better than a man who would leave them alone in the woods, maybe Regina could-

_Could she? Could she take them in?_

"Regardless-" Regina continued, trying hard not to sound too imposing, it was difficult, _old habits die hard_, "- you did get what I wanted." She held up the small satchel and gave them a grin she hoped did not frighten them much.

"Was it hard to come by?" Regina asked in a slightly mocking voice and realized then she _really_ did not know how to go about any of this, mother had set the worst example. She leaned forward a little to be at eye level with the children and released a laugh, which they did not take in very well. Both brother and sister took simultaneous steps to the side towards each other and looked downright terrified.

She straightened herself and took a deep breath, she really did not know what she was doing, or how to even deliver the offer – or even if she should do it at all – but an annoying voice at the back of her head told her to follow her gut, to take a chance.

_Take them in Regina,_ the young woman with braided hair urged her.

_Don't be ridiculous Regina, you're a child yourself, you cannot possibly be considering that you are capable of taking care of two!_ The heartless Queen, mother, mocked her.

"I would like to invite the two of you-" she said suddenly louder than necessary, loud enough to muffle her mother's voice inside her head, "-to come and live here with me."

If their eyes had been wide upon seeing the thief murder the witch, they were now almost popping out of their skulls as the invitation sank in. Dead silence filled the room for a few moments and Regina only realized she had a rather large smile on her lips when her cheeks began to ache from the strain of holding it in place.

The young boy took a timid step forward, which surprised and pleased Regina, his eyes were big with fear but also wonderment, "We get to live in a castle?" he asked, clearly not actually believing what he had just heard.

"Yes," Regina responded not freeing her expression from the smile that seemed to take home there, "And the two of you will have-" she took a step forward toward the boy, "-everything your hearts desire."

"Everything?" this time it was Gretel's slightly raspy voice who asked, she looked from Regina to her brother, also rather baffled at the idea.

"Of course," Regina addressed the girl, feeling her heart swell a little, _maybe this was what she needed, maybe this was the path that she should take_, "You will have your own personal carriages and servants, and of course your own rooms."

Their eyes filled up with glee for that moment and Regina felt _right_, maybe this was indeed-

"Does Robin live here too?" the boy Hansel asked bluntly.

This time it was Regina's turn to look utterly surprised, it took her a few seconds to respond the strange question with a "Yes." rather uncertain as to why the boy had asked that question.

Hansel seemed somehow pleased with the answer and turned to his sister who looked a little bit more skeptical about the proposal, still eying Regina with suspicion.

"You will obviously have to change from those tattering clothes-" Regina went on conversationally, feeling like her proposal had been accepted. She turned her back on the children and took a few steps towards the window, she continued, "-you will be much better off here with me than with a father who would give you scraps of cloth to put on your back." She then turned back to face the children and finished, "Besides, he does not truly care about you two, if he did, he would not have left you in the woods."

Her words had alarmingly instantaneous effects upon the children's expressions, the boy's face sank and he looked like a sad, lost puppy, as for the girl, she frowned in anger but again, it was the boy's teary voice which rang, "But he's all we have,"

"He doesn't have to be." Regina gave him in a softer tone approaching the two children once more, the boy looked up, fat tears pooling in his eyes, just a blink away from being shed, Regina took another step towards him, wanting to-

"NO!" his sister's voice came loud and strong, and the girl came in between Regina and her brother in a manner of seconds, her face scrunched with anger, "We are going to find our father, with or without your help." She held her ground.

Regina felt a bitter taste in her mouth, "You would go on a wild goose chase with nothing to guide you but a broken compass?"

"Yes," the girl faced Regina with fierce determination, "Besides, we saw what you made that man do to the witch." The girl squinted and continued, "You knew that she was crazy, you knew that she was powerless without the Sun, you could have helped her with your magic!" she threw at Regina's face, who felt her chest tighten with each passing word, "And yet you had her killed, you have no right to take someone's life like that."

Regina felt a million words get caught on her throat as the girl's words hit her, she was surprised to be confronted in such a fashion, especially after making such an offer, but she did not want to admit Gretel's words stung.

"We would never want to live with somebody as terrible as _you_!" Gretel finished off and Hansel stood behind her nodding in agreement.

For the second time that day, Regina felt something that had grown warm inside her chest freeze over as she stared at that penniless, homeless pair that had stated they would rather be alone and lost than to be with her.

_Ungrateful brats!_

She had offered them everything and yet, they chose uncertainty for the sake of some blind faith in their father.

Regina's heart was beating fast against her ribcage, at this point she really wished she did not have her heart in, for the pain of those children's rejection was almost too intense for her to bear. Although Regina's heart was breaking and something inside her was growing cold, her expression never betrayed her as she kept her fierce stare on the short girl in front of her.

"Is that so?" Regina whispered, her tone was probably the most terrifying of all of the ones she had used to address brother and sister.

The girl had some nerve – which was probably one of the reasons why Regina wanted to shelter her – and replied, "We will find him, family always _finds_ one another." She squinted and continued, "And nothing, not even _you_, will keep us apart."

_That was it._

"We will see about that." Regina gave her in between clenched teeth and started using her hurt mixed with anger to create a storm of purple and yellow smoke around the two children standing before her.

"Gretel! What is happening?" the boy screeched in fear and brother and sister hugged each other as the purple magic engulfed their bodies, while golden magic danced about their heads.

When the smoke dissipated, the pair was gone. Regina had sent them to a forest in the far South of the Enchanted Forest, a good two weeks journey by gallop from her own kingdom.

Regina felt her insides crumble with sadness, as the children's hate filled glares still haunted her even in their absence. She kept herself together as she exited the room even though she felt like setting the whole place aflame with her anger, and sent orders to the dungeons for her guards to release the prisoner they had captured that day.

If Hansel and Gretel's father ever _found_ them – Regina would be very surprised if he did – it would only bring those poor lost souls more misery. She had cast a spell upon the children's features with that gold yellow shimmer – Rumpelstiltskin had only taught her the basics on the spell, but it had served her purposes perfectly. It was a shapeshifting spell, which prevented their father, and their father alone, to ever see their faces as they truly were.

…

Regina managed to school her features and not set anything, or anyone, ablaze as she made her way through the darkened corridors of her castle. Her destination was clear. A strange pull seemed to guide her every step, certain and unchangeable. Still, there were parts of her that found it strange that she should seek refuge in such a place.

The room she was headed to was located at the very top of the highest tower in the castle. Her old room, the one she had been assigned to once she was married, the Queen's luxurious yet cold and impersonal chambers. Regina was sure the room had been placed so high in order to make sure the Queen never strayed and had as little human contact as possible. The height was such that it intimidated anyone to even _think_ about taking a leap.

It had not impressed Regina when _she_ had jumped all those years ago.

_You fell,_ she reminded herself.

_Did you?_The young woman in a pearly white dress defied her.

She hardly registered opening the door and walking in. The corridors in these parts of the castle were not patrolled, servants hardly ever ventured to these parts. The room was dark. Gloomy shadows were created by the only source of illumination, the full moon shinning through the transparent drapes of the balcony.

Regina finally felt alone and _safe_, away from the prying eyes of her servants and guards, away from the look of pity her father always gave her, and away from those intense pools of blue that seemed to play with her affections and turn her world upside down.

The relief and quietness helped ease her soul only for the first couple of minutes. The silence made it easier for the voices inside to get to her, play with her emotions throwing all the happenings of this past day at her face.

The children's heartless rejection and the unreasonable rage swimming about the outlaw's eyes when he strangled her. Her father's comforting and yet useless presence. The nothingness of the pool of white that were the blind eyes of the witch she had killed, her utter desperation, her blind faith in the crazy tale she had been tricked into.

That pile of bones, she could almost see it again before her eyes. She heard soft child-like laughter coming from it, followed by high-pitched screams of pain-

She screamed.

Regina let out all her frustration, her anger, her sadness out in one pained screech that filled the room and reverberated for a few seconds dying out completely. Letting it out snapped something in her and suddenly Regina felt stuffed, she felt trapped and constrained. She wrapped her fingers around that enormous necklace she had been wearing – scratching her nails about her neck in the process – and yanked it off in one, strong pull.

She took a deep breath, sucking in the air as if it was some manner of drug, but still, felt trapped in her own skin. The coat was the second thing to go, and later, when the servants come to pick up the remainder of her clothing, they would find burn marks on the heavy leather, and most of the buttons that had secured it scattered around the room.

With a single move of her hand, her boots were gone. Because her feet had been inside those high and uncomfortable trappings all day, Regina felt stinging pain when her bare soles touched the cold, stone floor. She felt the ache coming up from the soles for her feet and racing up her legs. It snaked its way up to her knees, passing by the sides of her thighs. By the time the strange ache reached her stomach, Regina realized that it was not only physical pain – which had actually remained located on her feet and legs – but something inside of her that wounded, that hurt, as if it had been broken.

Regina remembered the look of disgust on the children's faces, the fear so obvious in the little boy's eyes, the determination to defy her in the young girl's, and could not help but wonder what _did_ they see?

A Queen? A witch? A threat? A means to an end? A monster? A soulless woman who took lives just because she could?

She knew she was no innocent flower, had never been one, _ever_. Regina was aware that she had changed almost to the point of no recognition ever since that fateful day when Daniel had been killed before her eyes. She knew the price she had to pay for being the person that she was today, for acquiring so much power, for collecting so many hearts, for blackening her own to the point of no return. Did that make her a monster?

_They didn't know. _

Those children did not know, _no one knew_, not even Maleficent, who had been the one with whom she had opened up to the most, not even she knew what torment it was to be inside Regina's head, what had brought her to twist her beliefs and principles to the point that they were unrecognizable. With her mother's voice constantly haunting her with criticism and disappointment, with the jumpy disposition she had developed thanks to her mother's disciplining and Leopold's abusive demands.

They never knew what it was like to have insecurity coursing through their veins every second of the day, as Regina did as a young girl. Living in fear that she would not live up to her mother's expectations, that she was not going to be good enough for her prospects as Queen. Now, she had transformed herself into a person who would _never_ be _good_ for anybody, someone who only left destruction and despair at her wake.

_Love is weakness, if they fear you,_ _they'll never defy you_, her mother's voice rang yet again.

Regina walked up to a full-length mirror, which had held her image for years wearing the most varied kinds of constraining and uncomfortable dresses, and looked at herself.

The first thing she saw was the red, for the glamour spell she had placed on her neck had worn off. She had wanted to conceal the marks the thief's deadly grip had left behind. But now they were accompanied by the marks her nails had created when she yanked off her necklace. Regina traced the marks lightly with her fingers.

She only wore a tight black corset and black leather pants now. Her body was no longer full and healthy, as it had been as a young woman, but slim and elegant. Her cheeks just as white as the rest of her complexion, no longer rosy and alive. She was beautiful to the eye, she could see that and yet, she felt hollow and shallow, for on the inside she felt empty and alone. No one ever stayed out of their own free will. Obligation, duty and honor had kept people around her, but no one would stay for the sake of _her_.

_We would never want to live with someone as terrible as you!_

The words were still fresh and Regina felt tears trail down her cheeks, and for the first time that day, she did not hold them back but let them roll freely. Before long, the salty things were accompanied by pained sobs.

Regina looked at her reflection through blurry vision and she _hated_ herself. She hated that she had done this to herself, hated Snow for having put her on this path of darkness, and most of all, hated the fates for having drawn her destiny in such a cruel manner.

_Alone, a monster._

Her eyes stung from the angry tears, her heart ached with loneliness and despair as she stared at the twisted and vile woman looking back at her in the reflection of the mirror. Suddenly, even through the haze of tears, Regina could see a malicious smirk tug on her reflection's lips, even though she was absolutely sure her own expression had not changed. The smirk changed into a grin and Regina _hated_ that woman with every fiber-

Her fist made contact with the reflective surface before she could think of what she was doing, rage taking over her common sense and guiding her actions. But she was not able to register the pain of having just smashed her fist to the glass for she heard a noise coming from just outside the door and quickly hid in the shadows, hoping the person would go away, she felt too drained for confrontation, too tired for killing.

He walked in.

_Him_

Regina had to use every ounce of self-control she still had left in order not to make any noises as she watched him from the shadows. He looked strangely worried, but curious as always, meddling with things that were none of his business. He examined the darkened room and took a couple of strides until he came to face the mirror she had just punched, running his fingers over the cracks.

He looked down to inspect the floor and Regina took a step out of the darkness, fully intending on telling him to disappear from her sight before she disintegrated him herself.

He was startled enough to release a "_Fucking hell!_" when he saw her reflection on the mirror but quickly turned to face her, alarmed but also completely unprepared for battle, as he only wore his sleeping clothes and had no weapons on him.

"What the hell do you think you are doing here?" she asked and noted her voice was a little watery and rather raspy. _Gods_, she hoped he did not notice she had been crying. _That_ would be far too humiliating.

Her words were met with silence and somehow it wounded her more than anything he could have possibly said. It made Regina angry. The quiet felt like the ultimate way for him to defy her.

"Well?" her broken voice sounded again.

"I heard a crash that's all," he spoke in an almost casual manner. _Had he truly not noticed her state?_

_He does not care Regina, don't be silly, why would he care? _Her mother's voice was there again.

Regina wanted to shake off her mother's voice from inside her head, all she wanted was to be at peace for a little while. But with _that_ man there, peace did not seem possible; he made her heart skip a beat with agony and fear, and she did not want him to see her like this.

She huffed, turned her back on him, and walked into the balcony, hoping he would go away but wishing he remained. She let the moonlight bathe her figure and the rush of the night air made gooseflesh rise on her arms and back. She closed her eyes, tilting her head back, and placing her hands on the railing. Just as she had all those years ago when-

She felt his presence behind her. She knew that he was there, even though his steps had been soundless. Regina felt a familiar energy emanating from behind and knew that it was _his_. It somehow eased a little of her pain, made her feel slightly more comfortable and before she knew it, the words were tumbling from her lips.

"I don't understand," her voice was soft now, but still broken.

"What don't you understand?" he asked without hesitation.

Although Regina found it odd that he would be interested, she gave him, "The children," she whispered as she straightened her head and looked ahead at the vast forest she called her own.

"Hansel and his sister?" she heard him ask, "What about them? Didn't they get the satchel you wanted?"

Regina felt a strange chill run up her spine, she could somehow feel him take another soundless step towards her.

_Yes_, they had gotten what she wanted. The apple was now hers and the previous owner in no state of ever claiming it back.

"Yes-" Regina realized only then that her plan to destroying Snow's happiness was moving forward, the realization brought a small smile to her lips, "-yes, they did-"

Regina let the venomous glee of revenge take over and make her heart beat faster, as if it was pumping poison, a _delicious_ type of poison. She took a victorious breath and imagined Snow eating the apple and falling into an endless tormented sleep, neither dead nor alive, a fate worse than death.

The feeling did not last, it sank again as she thought about the defying young eyes of the ones who had retrieved the apple for her and felt loneliness punch her in the stomach. The pain ran through her chest like a knife, and Regina truly did not know what possessed her to confess.

"I-" she turned away from him to face the moonlight once more, "I asked them-"she felt like she could, like she _should_ tell him, "-I told them they could live here in the castle, never want for anything ever again."

Her revelation was met by a simple "Oh?" on his part.

Silence reigned for a moment and Regina took a deep breath, she felt slightly nervous but oh so tired of putting up the act of the Evil Queen, so tired of snapping and getting defensive to the point no one would want to stand beside her. She turned around to face him and could see every expressive line on his face as the moonlight shone on his features, he looked concerned and confused.

Regina was grateful shadows concealed her face as she gave him, "They did not want to stay." She tried to sound as detached from the information as possible, maybe it would make the facts hurt less.

"But why does that even bother you?" he asked.

Regina looked at him for a moment and did not know what to say, did not know if she should tell him, if telling him was going a step too far, if disclosing that information would allow him to see some humanity in her.

She looked down and started, her voice was coming out small, "She said that they would _never_ want to-" but something tugged at her chest as she was about to utter the words the girl had said, she could not do it, they hurt too much. _Because they were true_. Instead, Regina brought her eyes to meet the thief's and asked him in genuine puzzlement, "Why wouldn't they want to stay here?"

Suddenly she was verbalizing all the questions that had been plaguing her heart, "They were poor and their father had abandoned them, they had _nothing_ and I offered _everything_. And yet-" she swallowed and finished, "And yet they chose to hold on to a broken promise when I could have given them everything their hearts desired."

The silence that followed her words was heavy and she could see the thief trying to make sense of everything that she had just disclosed. Regina felt nervous at the odd silence but somehow a little lighter at having verbalized some of what was weighing her down.

"Did you?" he suddenly asked.

"Did I _what_?" Regina was confused by this and narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"Did _you_ want to live here?" he explained, his manner seemed different, his voice softer, it lacked the bite she had gotten used to. Regina frowned at that and he continued, "Did you want to be Queen? Had that always been your ambition?"

_Oh._

That caught her by surprise. Regina was a little speechless for a few seconds, for she then realized no one had ever asked her that question. The question if she indeed _wanted_ to be Queen. Everything had been imposed on her, the marriage proposal, the magic – a chance to bring Daniel back, or so she thought at the time – the marriage, the stepdaughter, the duties. All of those things had been thrown at her, forced on her; no one had ever cared to ask for her consent-

"No," she finally replied to his question in a mere whisper.

The balcony did not feel as freeing as it did before. It actually felt like a taste of sweet liberty she never got to have. She pushed her weight from the railing and walked into the room once more, passing by the thief, and making sure she did not give him a single glance.

Regina crossed her arms and continued, facing away from him, "-it was never my ambition to be anything other than _myself_," the words tasted bitter when they spilled from her mouth. The hard truth of what she had truly desired all those years ago made her chest sting. She twisted her head a little and looked at him over her shoulder, "-let alone _Queen_." She uttered her own title with so much disdain she even surprised herself.

"Why did you then?" he asked.

"I did not have a say in the matter of my marriage," Regina found herself saying the exact same words her father had used to describe his own marriage earlier that day. She took a few steps forward towards a four-poster bed that had once been hers. She gazed down at it and thought back at all the sleepless nights she had spent crying there, alone, missing Daniel, and fearing the arrival of her new husband.

She had suffered so much inside the confines of this room. When Leopold had died, the first thing she did was magic all of her belongings to another room. One situated on the other side of the castle, a room nearest to the ground floor and to her treasured apple tree, a room _she_ chose.

"I'm sorry," he told her, and she could pick up truth and sincerity in his tone.

"I don't need your pity-" she snapped back at him, she did not need him to be sorry for her as if she were a stray puppy. She turned to face him, some bubbling anger reaching the surface, she was not a being to be pitied; she was a force to be feared.

"You do not have my pity, your majesty," he stated rather coldly, "No one does, I have not felt anything ever since you took my heart away,"

Regina felt her entire body go ice cold at that statement. She had to hit herself inwardly every time she completely forgot she had taken his heart from his chest. He had always acted in such a passionate and hot-blooded way that it did not seem as if the organ was no longer attached to his body.

_But he has just told you he could not feel, don't be silly, believe your ears instead of your heart dearie_, the impish voice told her.

_That_ could not be true. She refused to believe him. Even though she knew quite well that people who did not have their hearts beating inside their chests felt next to nothing, this could not be the case for _him_.

If he had been truly as unfeeling as he said he was, he would not have shot Jamie in that ridiculous display of jealousy. He would not have tried to kill her because of a mere set of words. He would not have kissed her so fiercely, as if her lips were the very air that he breathed-

"Maybe the children did not want to stay for the same reason you didn't want to linger when you first came here." He continued, bringing Regina back from her reflections.

She huffed and managed to keep her expressions neutral while she sat on the edge of the bed.

This was all so wrong and confusing. What on earth were they doing? Was he truly trying to comfort her somehow? He was not very good at it. But the fact that he was trying brought a little of an earnest feeling to her chest, a warmth she knew she should dread because it made her weak. _Gratitude_.

Regina could not help but feel the sensation take over her chest and warm up the icy surface. She looked up and saw him there, standing a few feet away, looking at her as if she was some unearthly being he was setting his eyes upon for the very first time.

"You stayed," she stated simply, looking through him.

"You took my heart," his words were simple and yet they only confirmed what she had dreaded. _He also had not lingered for her_. He had stayed for his life, his heart was in her possession, he wanted to be near _it_, not _her_. No one would stay for the sake of her, not even him.

"You offered it to me," her voice came out so tiny she did not know if she had indeed uttered the words. They were words that held onto the last little thread of hope that maybe someone could, maybe someone would linger because they wanted to.

"Indeed I did," he agreed with her and released a deep sigh.

"Why?" she then finally met his eye, "Why _did_ you stay?" She had to know why. All this was far too overwhelming, her feelings for that man far too great, that pull too intense for her own good. She _had_ to know if he felt it too, "It's not as if I forced you to stay-" She stopped mid-sentence trying to remember the day when she had taken his heart, when he had almost begged her to rip it off his chest. She tilted her head to the side a little and asked in genuine confusion, "Did I?"

"No you didn't-" he responded quickly, "-I remember quite clearly that I was the one who asked you to take my heart away."

Those words were somewhat relieving to hear, they created a clear blue light of hope inside Regina's chest. She knew it was silly to hope, but she could not help it in her current state. The light was still timid, so unsure, but it was _there,_ amidst of all that darkness, all those dark, earth tones, the blue light stood out as she tried to examine his expression, but the room was far too dark.

"Why did you not want it?" she found herself asking simply.

"Because it burdened me with guilt," he replied without hesitation.

"Because of your wife?" she asked in reflex.

"Because of my wife and my child," he stated in a final tone.

That last statement hit Regina like one of his speedy arrows.

_A child. He had had a child? _

Given all recent events, Regina was not at all surprised to feel a tear trail down her cheek as she tried to push the heartache away, as she desperately tried not to think of any children anymore. Children were innocent, but children knew how to be cruel, and they made use of that particular type of cruelty in the most hurtful manner possible. Regina knew that now.

She took a deep breath and released a very soft "_Ah_" in acknowledgement.

The silence that followed was almost deafening. Regina felt remarkably overwhelmed with everything that had transpired in the last few minutes and throughout that entire crazy day.

Her eyes stung from all the tears pooling there, she did not want him to see her cry, did not want to show him that something _could_ pierce through her rock solid protective ice wall. But given the current situation, he would have to be a complete idiot if he did not know that she _had been_ crying, that she actually had a heart and feelings. The notion frightened her to no end, but Regina could not fight it anymore and closed her eyes, allowing the fat tears to roll down her cheeks, the act on itself relieving.

However, now that he was there, everything seemed slightly dulled, as if a part of her pain had been sedated. She felt a little bit more at ease in his presence. That notion alone was somewhat curious since at most moments they had shared together, she had either been far too aroused to register anything but pleasure, or far too irritated to think straight.

"Do you want me to leave?" his words were just above a whisper and yet they startled Regina with their meaning. The very last thing she wanted was for him to leave.

"_No_" her answer came fast, but her eyes were still closed. She did not know if she had said or thought what followed, "Don't leave."

She did not dare to open her eyes until she had summoned enough courage to admit, "I do not want to be alone tonight." She looked at him then, right at him, and she felt scared her out of her wits. Her chest tightened as she waited for his response.

They remained motionless for a few seconds – which felt like hours for Regina. His eyes locked in hers, he seemed confused and yet resolute at the same time, uncertain and yet something new radiated from his blue eyes. _Compassion_. Regina had to wonder when it had been the last time anyone had directed such a feeling at her.

His answer came in actions instead of words. He suddenly started to move, and, before Regina knew it, he got down to one knee in front of her. She was rather stunned and a little touched, he had to be one of the first people to do something like that out of compassion for her and not duty to her title. She could not help but feel scared at the same time, vulnerable at his proximity – which seemed ridiculous since he had been _inside_ her oh so many times. All the same, she was curious to see what he would do next.

Regina only became aware that she was gripping her hands with one another with a lot of force and that she had hurt herself punching the mirror, when his hand came to rest atop of hers and the impossible words slipped through his lips, "You won't be then."

His words distressed and comforted her at the same time. But his touch, the usual electricity now mixed with compassion, soothed her heartache little by little. They remained as they were for a little while; both of them had their gazes fixated on their joined hands. Regina felt herself more and more at ease with each passing moment of their small but somewhat meaningful contact. After a little while, she felt his thumb start to stroke the back of one of her hands. Regina felt like the weight of guilt and hate over her shoulders was starting to lose might, to lose its power.

When her hands had completely relaxed under his tender touch, his voice broke the silence in a whispered, "_Come_," and he tugged at her right hand ever so gently.

Regina looked up, uncertain of what it was that was happening, she could not help but feel untrusting, she had been alone watching her own back for the longest time. And yet, a soft voice whispered in the back of her ear that she should follow her heart and not her brain, to give _this_, whatever it was, a chance.

He tugged her hand again, gesturing for her to join him on the floor, and this time, Regina moved and lowered herself to both her knees, which thankfully touched fur instead of stone, in front of him. Her heart pounded fast, she could hear the fierce beating in her ears. His hand was still holding hers even when she got settled on the floor and Regina found that comforting, even though she could still hear her mother screeching in the back of her head that she was being weak.

They faced each other, and, because he was still on one knee, Regina had placed herself painfully close to him, but still not touching. His hand released her own and she felt cold for a second before the thumb belonging to said hand wiped away one of the many tears that had wet her cheek. The touch was so small, but it held so much that Regina could not help but close her eyes and sigh in relief.

"Tell me your name."

If Regina thought he could not surprise her any further, she had been oh so wrong.

_He did not know her name?_ Surely someone, _anyone_ must have mentioned it to him. He _must_ have heard someone address her by her given name. _How could he not know?_ She was certain that, if he had heard it at least once, he would not have asked her at all, especially not in this delicate moment, she trusted he had some sense left in him.

She knew for a fact that _she_ had not given him her name. Ever since she had indeed become _'Your majesty'_, the _only_ majesty in that castle, no one would dare to use the term Queen Regina anymore. Because Queen Regina had been a farce, a meek and obedient mask she had worn for ten torturous years and that mask had shattered into a million pieces the moment Leopold took his last breath. She no longer belonged to anybody but herself, and her name was not something she would give just to anyone.

But _him_, the man kneeling in front of her with hypnotizing blue eyes, it was foolish of her to pretend he was like the others. He was no mere knight, no mere servant; she had never seen him that way. From the moment she had first seen him, she had felt there was something different about him, the strong tug at her heart when their eyes had met for the first time was a testament to that.

_Him_, Robin was his name, she knew that, and yet, she had not addressed to him by it, not even once. She knew it was an attempt to distance herself from him, to call him thief and outlaw was much easier, kept _Robin_ at arm's length from _Regina_, only allowing the _thief_ to approach _your majesty_. They were the outlaw and the Queen and not Robin and Regina. And yet, now that he had asked, she could not help but give it to him.

"Regina. My name is Regina"

An adolescent fear suddenly took over her, for he just stared back at her, looking completely baffled, regarding her as if he was seeing something new for the very first time.

_Maybe he was._

"Regina," he finally gave her and her name sounded like a prayer coming out of his lips.

She was suddenly so scared to have given to him something so intimate of hers – which sounded ridiculous since she had his head in between her legs only a few hours after she had met him – somehow she felt as if he had some odd type of advantage on her now.

There was a moment of silence in which he traced her jaw with his thumb and Regina felt so raw, she felt safe and yet so vulnerable, she wanted to fight this, but she did not have the strength.

"Why did that upset you so?" he asked, his voice quiet, not a hint of malice or mockery there.

"No one stays, everybody leaves" she found herself confessing another secret of hers. Regina must truly be losing her mind. She suddenly found she could not face him, and turned her gaze down to the white fur beneath their knees.

"I stayed" he gave her and she could feel his warm breath on the top of her head, he was so close. It was as if this was the closest he had ever gotten to her, the _real_ her.

"I made you." she stated, snapping her eyes back to his. She _knew_ he had stayed on account of his heart. He did not understand, he-

"You did-" he started, managing to muffle down a little of her incessant thinking, "-but not the way _you_ _think_ you did." His tone was so sincere, his words a mystery to her still.

She realized their noses were almost bumping given their proximity, her heart felt as if it was going to come out of her mouth as his words sank in. She did not understand them. She could most certainly interpret them as proof that he had stayed for her. And yet, they were still too enigmatic for her to be sure, she did not want to hang on a thread of hope that might as well snap at any given moment. She could not afford to be that weak.

Regina diverted her eyes to his lips and remembered how absolutely divine they felt pressed against her own, and the decision was made in less than a second. She closed the distance between them in a kiss she could feel had taken him by surprise.

They were better like this, she felt safer and more in control if they did not speak at all and let their bodies, lips and limbs do the talking.

Regina was washed with a little bit of uncertainty as he did not respond at first. She had to bite his lower lip for him to finally react and start kissing her back, but still he seemed a bit off and Regina felt like crying. She needed something to comfort her, anything, and she gathered that the best thing – and the safest thing – he could give her right now were his fervent kisses and every single type of physical contact that derived from their passionate disposition.

She placed one hand to the back of his head and tangled her fingers through his hair only to pull it and break the kiss in order to look at him. He exhaled sharply and stared back at her looking rather confused, his mouth hanging slightly ajar as he blinked a few times. He took in a breath in order to speak but Regina beat him to it, she herself was startled by the word that left her lips.

"Robin," she whispered, and it frightened her that it rolled from her lips so naturally, after all, she had never addressed to him by his given name, not like this, like she meant it. She suddenly realized she was fisting his shirt in her grip with some force.

He brought one hand to the nape of her neck and pressed his forehead to hers and whispered back, "Yes, Regina?"

Was she truly going to feel butterflies in the pit of her stomach every time he uttered her name? _No_. She was fragile, tired and in desperate need of compassion, surely this would not stir her so much in her normal disposition.

And yet, there she was, sighing in relief, feeling the energy buzz in between their joined foreheads and muttering back to him, "Robin make me forget."

"Are you certain?" he asked concerned.

She brought her other hand to his chin and traced it until she reached his lips, "Yes." she breathed, feeling the wet flesh of his lower lip on the very tip of her thumb. She pulled their foreheads apart to look him in the eye, "I don't want to think anymore-" the hand on the back of his head came down to rest on the side of his neck. "-all I want is to feel." Regina did not know what had possessed her to make such a plea, but this was real, this was true and she was going to take it. She could not remember the last time she had been so sincere, "I want to feel _this-_" she inched herself closer to him enough to press their bodies to one another and breathed out "-with _you_."

He sighed deeply, brought both his hands to each side of her face, and kissed her. This time, he kissed her like he meant it, there was no hesitation, no fear, no doubt, only lips against lips, tongues brushing against each other. The kiss took her breath away, it was intense but not hungry and desperate. On the contrary, it was slow but filled with passion, hot and yet somehow she could feel tenderness beneath the surface.

Regina only registered that he had brought his other knee to the floor when he pulled her flush against him. She could feel his firm muscles against her through the fabrics of their clothing, as well as the growing stiffness inside his pants. He dragged his mouth across her jawline and started trailing suckling kisses down her throat. Regina could not hold back a throaty moan when he sucked at her pulse point, as his hands found her backside and kneaded it with gusto. Her own hands travelled about his back and untucked his sleeping shirt from his trousers.

She snaked her hands up his bare stomach while his mouth had reached the swell of her breasts, his suckling kisses lingering and incredible. His mouth left a trail of saliva that vibrated thanks to their odd connection, and Regina found herself humming at the sheer pleasure of his unhurried affection.

She could feel him taunt and muscular beneath her fingers and pressed herself against his now stiff groin, which stole a loud groan from him, his grip on her behind intensified, and Regina found herself stifling a grin at the way she was able to tease him. Regina burned for him, she longed to have every last inch of her skin touching his, she wanted that blissful burning to set fire to all her heartaches and insecurities. She started pulling his shirt up until he had to bring his lips from where they had been feasting, the very middle of her cleavage, so she could finally take it off.

The garment was discarded with haste, thrown blindly only to be looked for the next morning. Instead of going back to leaving red markings on her breasts, he spoke, his voice raspy and low, "_Lay down_" his tone was simple and not at all demanding, it was more like a simple request, which Regina found odd because there was absolutely nothing simple about them, about all this.

Regina's eyebrows knit together at his request, ever suspicious, but complied by laying down on the silky white fur carpet. Regardless of the comfort, and how her body thanked her for laying down, she was not able to relax completely. She did not dare to close her eyes, but watched him like a hawk.

He probingly gazed at her at first, not making any kind of physical contact, even though his eyes could have very well burned holes into her skin with the intensity of his gaze. She realized he was not simply looking at her but admiring her, drinking her image in, and she felt an impossible blush rise to her cheeks. It made her uneasy to the point she stared to rethink this whole thing for what seemed to be the thousandth time.

He brought his right hand to her face and traced her forehead ever so lightly with the tips of his fingers. His touch was so unusually gentle that Regina could not help but close her eyes. His fingers traveled down her cheek and moved to her neck, the contact giving her gooseflesh all over her body. They passed by her collarbone and travelled about the swells of her breasts where his mouth had marked her red with passion.

His whispered, "You are beautiful" made her eyes open again.

A lone tear escaped her right eye without her consent when she told him, "No, I'm not" she gave him a humorless laugh, "I'm a mess" she finished brokenly.

He frowned at her, "You're real, you've never looked more beautiful"

Regina took in a breath through her mouth fully intending on disagreeing with him, but that was all she managed to do for suddenly he was kissing her once more. She could not find the strength in herself to argue. She placed one hand to his cheek and let his lips take hers, feeling oddly happy that he saw some matter of beauty in her that she was blind to.

He had somehow placed himself in between her spread legs but braced all his own weight so the only thing Regina felt was pure, solid pleasure.

It did not take long for his hands to start to undo the hooks of her corset. She felt the chill hit her breasts at first – making the tips harden fully – but the cold lasted but a few second before his hands were palming every last bit of flesh they could find. His lips left hers in order to tug at one of her nipples and Regina found her own lips parting with a shaky exhale. He continued to tease, suck and kiss one of her nipples, never forgetting to pinch and massage the other one and Regina could not help but groan at the sensation.

He started to kiss the sides of her ribs and make his way down, treating every last inch of skin with ardor and devotion. Regina arched her back when he licked her just below her belly button, longing for more. His hand had started rubbing her through her trousers, just like he had done earlier that day, and Regina felt herself buzz with desire. She ached for him, she was soaking wet with arousal, her heart beat frantically with anticipation, and he had not even taken off her trousers yet.

He did so, removing the garment slowly, not yanking it off like he normally would. She was suddenly bare before him and again his eyes scanned her with hunger but also some manner of reverence.

His mouth continued its delicious journey down and this time he did not tease her, did not provoke her desires by only circling the area she desperately needed licked, but instead went straight for her knot and sucked hard. That alone made a strangled moan tumble from Regina's lips as the pleasure intensified, and made her head light, everything around her seemed hazy and wonderful.

His hands ran up and down her thighs in tantalizing movements, his tongue still at work on her most sensitive patch of flesh.

She didn't even have time to prepare for it, her peek came hard and fast when he started flicking his tongue rapidly against her clit, and Regina went to the moon and back in a few seconds. He was still giving her suckling kisses around her opening when her high had finally passed and allowed her to register her surroundings again. Her worries were blissfully diluted and heartache almost non-traceable.

"I-" her voice was breathy. He lifted his head from between her thighs to regard her, he had the memory of that irritating smirk on his lips, but right now, Regina rather enjoyed it.

"What?" he asked lifting his weight on his elbows.

She was miraculously able to hoist her her own weight on her elbows as he straightened himself up as well, a small frown playing on his forehead. She lifted one eyebrow and gave him a smile before telling him, her voice low and slurry.

"Fuck me"

His pupils dilated, eyes filled with anticipation, and he wet his lips with the tip of his tongue in eagerness but did not move otherwise, "Fuck you, what?" he teased and Regina rolled her eyes.

"I'm not going to say please," she told him seriously.

"Not that, I know yanking _that_ out of you will take more than-" he gesticulated with his hands hopelessly and Regina could not help but release a small laugh.

"What then?" she was truly curious.

"Say it again," when she still looked confused he completed, "My name."

At that, Regina smiled a true smile. She could hardly believe she had opened herself up this much to this man in only one night. Or had she slowly been opening up to him without even realizing it? She could not tell, she had always been so careful to keep her façade up, but when she was with him, she could not help but be all of herself, a hundred percent Regina. Most of the time, he would get lashings from the bad and angry side of her. Other times he was able to take rather enjoyable lashes from her fervent sexual side. But this side, it had been a long, long time since she had exposed it to anyone.

"Fuck me Robin," she made it roll from her tongue sensually and arched a brow and finished, "Now!"

He opened up a smile upon hearing his name, and their hands had joined in efforts of reliving him of his pants.

At one moment she was throwing his pants as far as possible from his erection and the next she was laying back on the floor, the owner of said pants kissing her fiercely and pressing his own bare sex to hers. Regina returned the kiss with hunger and met the movements he made with his pelvis. She sighed against his lips breaking the kiss as he guided himself into her, and Regina felt whole.

She bit her lower lip as the sensation of being so deliciously filled by him took over. It had been such a long time, she would never admit it, but she had most ardently missed _this_, missed _him_, missed this strange electrifying magic their bodies were able to create.

He started moving, bracing his weight on both his arms, which rested on the sides of her head, and Regina had to ask herself why the fuck had she avoided this for such a long time. Her hands went to the back of his head and brought him down to her in a kiss, for some odd reason she could not get enough of kissing him, could not get enough of that tantalizing sensation of having his cock sliding in and out of her. He stirred something deep inside her, it was more than merely good sex, she knew that. Gods, she was doomed.

He brought one of her legs up and placed it on his shoulder. That way he was able to go in a little deeper and hit a new spot inside Regina that made her cry out for him to slow down so she could get adjusted. As soon as she protested, he had stopped and looked at her with concern. She was the one to restart the movements, taking it slowly and welcoming the new pleasurable sensation to her core. It did not take long for the discomfort to transform itself into utter bliss. Regina soon brought her other leg to his matching shoulder and wailed out, this time in ecstasy, as that position hit a spot that made her see stars.

He quickened his pace and Regina thought she was going to pass out, the friction was too good to be true and that special spot was being hit time and time again. This time she did not even need to use her fingers on her knot in order to reach her peek. This time she saw it coming, the almost magical force building up inside with every new blissful thrust. She fisted her fingers in his hair and cried out his name without really intending to when she came.

Upon hearing his name, Robin hastened his pace even more, panting above her something that sounded too much like her own name for her to deny it. He reached his own peek a few thrusts later and gasped for air for a few seconds, before he opened his eyes and looked at her with such feeling, that Regina was stunned at first, unable to respond.

She took her legs from their somewhat awkward position and decided the safest way to respond to the glint of his eyes was by kissing it away. She rolled them over and was on top of him a moment later, their sweaty torsos met, and the promise of a second round lingered in the air. But Regina as well as Robin were completely spent, she was almost unable to keep her eyes open.

The man beneath her was faring rather similarly, he had a silly smile plastered on his face, but his eyes were only half opened. Regina brought her lips to his one last time in a single tender kiss and rested her head on his shoulder, telling herself she was only going to linger there a little bit more. Only so she could feel that wonderful buzz between their naked bodies for a while longer.

She told herself she was going to move her hands to the fur beneath them, that she was going to get up, gather her wits about her and puff herself to her room. She was resolute in leaving him there, that would be better, that would be safer, but all she managed to do was she play sleepily with the hairs of his chest. She told herself she should get up when she felt his breathing deepening beneath her.

But Regina did not even stir from her position, for one of his arms came circling her waist and held her protectively to him. She took a small breath to protest but it died out when his thumb started to caress her hip. She finally gave up on her hopeless plan of disentangling herself from him when he landed a kiss on the top of her head and finally fell asleep.

_Just this once_

She used the very last bit of energy to conjure a large warm blanket above them both and let sleep take her, _just this once_.

…

**Penny for your thoughts! **


	19. Cruel Disguise

**I'm so sorry for taking so long to update! My life is absolutely crazy right now.**

**A very special thank you to Marie and Manon who read this through for me and told me it was not awful. Thank you darlings! This is not beta-ed, so sorry in advance.**

…

Regina did not know what had woken her.

She was used to waking up suddenly, gasping for air, soaked in sweat with her heart beating erratically, and sometimes even screaming out, due to the more than usual nightmares that haunted her.

But this time, her eyes did not snap open and her senses did not hit her all at once.

One moment Regina was enwrapped in peaceful slumber, buzzing energy travelled about her body, and her heart, for once, was at ease. She moved a little, and slowly became more and more aware of the fact that what she was laying upon was not her mattress. Her mattress did not breathe, or _snore_.

Regina took a deep breath – taking in the scent of pinewood and sweat that was strangely familiar – and eased herself more into the warm, delicious embrace of whatever was holding her. She hummed in agreement to the arm that held her a little tighter around the waist when she moved. It felt quite good, she felt well rested and safe, which was something she had not felt for a very long time.

The vibrant energy made her want to sleep the morning away there, even though she was now conscious that she was on top of somebody and that both of them were stark naked.

She bit tentatively at her lower lip and found that it was a little swollen. For some strange reason, her half-awakened mind knew it was so because she had been thoroughly kissed the night before-

A rush of cold wind hit her bare skin making Regina shiver, and waking her almost fully. But she did not want to give up this blissful something just yet, and so she tried to snuggle closer to the warm body beneath her, which was quite impossible, since she was laying on top of him already, so their bodies were practically glued to one another as it was. Another arm came to hold her when she moved, covering a small patch of skin on her back that was heated with buzzing energy in instants.

She placed an unconscious thank-you kiss on the patch of skin nearest to her mouth. A collarbone. Her ears picked up a satisfied groan coming from whoever was beneath her. She had just placed a kiss on a man's collarbone. Another sigh and a small grunt that sounded a little bit too much like "_Regina_" from the male beneath her only served to make her sure that it had been _his_ collarbone that she had just kissed. The wheels inside her head started turning, as she thought of herself stupid. Who else could it have possibly been, laying beneath her naked, but _him_? The familiar electricity they shared made that fact ridiculously obvious then.

She suddenly became aware of her position; one of her hands was unconsciously toying with his hair while the other rested on the furry surface of the rug. She was laying on her belly on top of him, legs slightly parted housing one of his own in between, and face turned to the side rested on his shoulder.

Her eyes shot open when, like a lightning bolt, full consciousness came to her, as well as all the memories of the previous day.

_You're nothing_, she had spat at his face, he had tried to kill her.

_I'm not your pet_, he threw back at her when he couldn't go through with strangling her.

_Who knew a thief had honor?_

_Who knew an Evil Queen had a soft spot for children?_

_The Queen is not as bad as she looks,_ he had defended her for no good reason to a little boy who seemed to take his words into consideration.

_The children you eat will little by little become your little one_, the siren-like voice of the witch retold and Regina had felt sick and angry.

_End her misery,_ her voice had been grave but her intention had been merciful, he had understood.

_We would never want to live with someone as terrible as you!_ That bratty girl had thrown at her face, rejecting Regina and everything she could offer.

_I didn't have a say in the matter of my marriage, _she had confessed to the thief using the same words as her father had when describing his own marriage.

_Don't leave, I don't want to be alone tonight,_ she had asked him and he had complied.

_Regina, my name is Regina_, she had told him her name as if they were meeting for the very first time.

_I stayed, but not for the reason you think I did,_ he had told her, his words had been enigmatic and yet they had lifted such a huge burden from her heart.

_I want to feel this with you,_ she had confessed to him, she had trusted him.

_You're real, you've never looked more beautiful_, he had said with admiration and reverence dancing in his blue eyes

_Say it again, my name_, he had asked in all earnest.

"Robin?" her voice came out weak and a little croaky, although it had not been her intention to say anything at all. Her eyes widened when they finally focused, she lifted her head a little, and was met with the features of the man she had just called out. His eyes were still half-closed and sleepy but she could see their color, it seemed more vibrant than ever.

He groaned something she could not understand and licked his lips absent-mindedly. Regina regarded him for a beat and, at first, felt comfortable and untroubled herself at his ease. But the feeling only lasted a moment, her heart almost stopped as she remembered what they had done the night before, and most importantly, what she had disclosed. She had told him a lot of things, things she should not have said. Things about her past, bared a part of her to him she hardly let show to anyone. And now, she felt absolutely terrified of what he might do.

What if he used all that information against her? He knew now of things that would trigger her, things that would upset her. How could she have been so stupid? What if he turned against her, demanded his heart back and if not-?

"You know-" he grumbled beneath her, bringing her back to the here and now, "-you're heavier than you look."

That took Regina by surprise, her head snapped back at his comment and she was sure her expression was something in between confused, outraged and sleepy. She blinked twice and took in what he had just uttered, casual tone, eyes regarding her just as they had always, with a hint of amusement and a silent challenge, urging her to respond in the same fashion. He bared a big grin at her silence, and she felt him stroke the patch of skin on her lower back with his thumb as she continued to stare at him completely baffled at what he had just said.

"You-" she managed to say, but found herself completely at a loss of words. He was being his usual prick self, funny and charming in his own irritating way, acting as if waking up stark naked on top of each other was a daily occurrence. Regina was not sure, if this was a simple act to try to distract her or if he really had woken up in such a merry mood.

The answer regarding the level of merriment of his mood was answered by the hardness she felt pressed against her thigh. Some things never changed.

He opened his mouth and let out an exaggerated yawn.

_By all the Gods above, did he have a baboon's breath in the morning_, Regina was sure she was going to faint if he did that again. He regarded her for a beat while she twisted her face in disgust and tried not to breathe through her nose given the swamp located inside his mouth.

Regina decided to play along, it was no use worrying about something he might as well not even remember with clarity. She tried to calm her heart as best as she could and arched an unimpressed brow. If he wanted to be nasty, pun intended, two could play this game. Plus, it was easier to simply banter than to talk about the events of the night before anyway.

"At least I don't have rotten breath in the morning." She stated pushing at his chest a little, trying to put some distance between her nose and his mouth.

He looked mockingly wounded, "Does that mean I get no good morning kiss?"

Gods he annoyed her, "Ugh you're insufferable." She whined and thought to herself she should roll off him, and not just because his breath was going to succeed in making her pass out, but because she was enjoying herself far too much. However, she did not budge.

"I never promised to be charming." He gave back to her and Regina could not help but release a laugh at his comment.

A victorious smile quickly decorated his lips and Regina grew angry at herself for having succumbed to his cheap but rather witty humor. She found she rather enjoyed this, _them_, and for that same reason, _this, them_ was a very dangerous thing to do.

Regina tried to push herself off him but found that her limbs were not as wide-awake as her brain. Her legs ached from the strain of what they had done the night before, although the new position had made her feel like she was going to burst with pleasure, her legs were not so used to that kind of stretch. All that she managed to do was rub her thigh to the Robin's stiff groin, which resulted in an instantaneous change in his expression.

He released puffy breath and closed his eyes, "By all the Gods in heaven do not stop that." He groaned. His bottom lip between his teeth, his tone had changed, it had sounded _almost_ like a plea.

_Regina rather enjoyed that tone._

She smirked and quickly formulated a plan inside her head. She hummed and traced her tongue up his neck, tasting a little bit of lingering sweat – not everything was sunshine and rainbows when waking up after a night of such _intense_ activities – until she reached his earlobe. She bit down at it softly while she ground herself against him, making her thigh rub softly against his hard member, as well as making her own desire grow as well. She was delighted to see the thief, _Robin_, so helpless at her mercy.

"And if I do?" she slurred on the shell of his ear, and ground her sex to his leg again, feeling the sharp pleasure it created pulsate down her legs. She could see gooseflesh rise in the back of his neck.

"Well, I would be most-" but he stopped mid-sentence as Regina had slid her hand down his torso and got ahold of his stiff cock. Words were substituted by a strangled moan on his part when she squeezed him a little and nibbled at his neck.

_Wonderful_, having him at her mercy was one of the most satisfying things-

"Your majesty!" a third voice cried out of the blue, startling them both.

The fright was such that Regina actually tumbled off the man completely, coming to lay beside him. She looked to her left to be met with the image of him covering his eyes with one of his hands and mumbling something about smashing mirrors to pieces.

She was rather surprised he recognized the voice, then again, this was not the first time he had interrupted them. Unfortunately for Regina, she also knew to whom that voice belonged to, he always seemed to interrupt the most inappropriate of moments – then again, most of the moments she had spent in the company of the naked outlaw beside her had been _quite_ inappropriate.

Regina quickly used her magic to clothe them both, the outlaw with his clothes from the night before, and her, with a thick, long, black robe that concealed everything the genie might want to glimpse at. She knew his lingering eyes were intense enough to make her want to empty the contents of her stomach.

She looked up and the outlaw had already risen while she had been performing her spell, and now was extending a hand to help her get to her feet as well. She eyed the hand, ever suspicious, but took it, accepting his assistance.

Her head snapped in the direction of the full-length mirror she had punched the night before.

"You may appear." she commanded, and the slightly distorted face of the once genie appeared on the reflective surface. At first he looked smug, most probably he had good information, but then, upon seeing that Regina was not alone, his face shifted to an expression that made her skin crawl.

"What?" Regina hissed in between her teeth and his eyes went back to her.

Before the genie could reply, the outlaw was suddenly right beside her pointing an accusing finger at the mirror, "If you interrupted us _again_ just because of your half crazed obsession, I swear that I will-" his tone made it perfectly clear he was ready to throw the mirror out the window depending on the genie's response.

Regina only gave the thief a look and he stopped speaking, he looked back at her and rolled his eyes.

"He can't do that anymore." She informed him, her voice was much smoother than she wanted it to be, "He can only _ask_ for permission to appear when he has _truly_ valuable information." She brought her gaze back to the man in the mirror who looked at the pair with jealousy plain in his eyes.

Regina felt a kick of wickedness rush through her veins when an idea dawned on her. She smirked and turned to face the outlaw. She leaned forward so their lips almost met. Her fingers came up and caressed his jaw ever so lightly while she licked her lips looking down at his own. She felt the tip of her tongue nearly make contact with his own lips and grinned at him. Tracing a single finger on his cheek, she slurred, "We'll finish it later."

All the man could do was nod, his eyes glued to her lips as she grinned one more time and turned back to face the genie. She arched an unimpressed brow and said, "This better be good."

It took the figure inside the mirror a moment to gather his wits about him. Regina's small demonstration of affection towards the outlaw had its desired effects on him. He was disgusting and foul, he deserved it.

The former genie shook his head after a beat and said, "Oh it is your majesty!" he was suddenly overly excited to share and Regina felt sick, why did she allow that horrific creature to linger anyway?

Regina simply huffed and waited. The image in her mirror shifted, the pitiful face of the genie melting away to display the image of what seemed to be a group of people walking in the moon light in the woods. Upon further inspection, Regina could see that in the middle, the tallest of the bunch, was none other than Snow White. The men around her were short and odd looking, not exactly human per say. She squinted and came to the conclusion that they were in fact dwarves, mine dwarves, the infuriating kind that helped make fairy dust.

"Now she's cavorting with dwarves?" she found herself asking.

"When did that happen?" the outlaw was still right beside her looking intently at the mirror. She brought her eyes to meet him as he continued, "Wasn't she only three nights ago paying Prince Charming nightly visits?" he sounded confused.

"Maybe your perception of true love is dulled thief," she told him with sarcasm, turning back to inspect the scene in the mirror.

"I never said anything about _her -"_ he bit back, "But _he_ seemed pretty stupidly taken with her-"

Regina was barely listening to him at this point, she was more preoccupied in studying Snow's face on the image. At first, she had a small smile on her cherry red lips, but Regina quickly noticed the smile was a sad one, and soon, a tear trailed its way down the girl's impossibly pale cheek. Even though she could not hear what was being said, Regina knew how heartbreak looked like, and the lack of light in Snow's eyes, her too pale cheeks, and seemingly bland expression gave away her true disposition.

The outlaw was still speaking, "-she's way too vanilla for my taste, I mean-"

An evil smile creeped about Regina's lips, anticipation filled her as her heart started pounding fast inside her chest. She did not know how much of George's story was actually true, but she could see heartbreak in Snow's green eyes, and that was reason enough for Regina to rejoice.

She interrupted the outlaw's monologue with a mere whispered comment that made his talking cease at once, "She's crying Robin."

"What did you say?" he asked in a quiet tone, the atmosphere between the two of them shifted all of a sudden. She felt his strong presence beside her as he turned to his head to look at her. He placed his hand on her small back ever so softly, just resting it there; the spark between them startled Regina, and made her gasp in surprise and fear.

She jumped away from his hand but turned to face him, trying to conceal her emotions behind a cold mask, "She's crying-" she repeated herself while pointing at the mirror and the man's gaze followed her finger, "-can't you see?"

"Yes-" he frowned.

She looked at the image of Snow and the little men once more but the venomous glee of the moment suddenly vanished, "Wait!" Her eyes widened looking at the image with a slightly maniac intensity. She could hear the outlaw's irritation in the huff he produced, but she was far too preoccupied with what she saw than with his disposition, "This is-" she squinted at the image, "This has happened in the evening time, this is not happening right now-" she took in a deep breath and spoke in a commanding voice, "When was this?"

The face of the genie reappeared on the mirror, "Last night."

"Last night?" Regina nearly screamed at him, anger taking ahold of her sanity, she felt like lunging at the mirror and smashing it with her own bare hands, "You knew the location of Snow White last night and you didn't deem it important to tell me?" she felt as if fire was going to come off her ears, mouth and nose.

"Forgive me your majesty-" he stuttered, "I, I-"

"YOU WHAT?" Regina was pretty sure her face had turned red.

"I tried to contact you my Queen, but-" by the look of fright on his face, he would have backed several steps if he had the legs and body to do so, "-but I couldn't. The magical agreement we made did not allow me to since you had _company_." He eyed the outlaw with a mix of loathing and jealousy in his eyes that had immediate effects on the man in question, who took a step forward. "Whatever _that man_ was doing to you, it enabled me to approach, maybe you should rethink-" but he was cut off by Robin who no doubtfully would deliver an extensive amount of colorful words at the man in the mirror or maybe give it another punch.

Regina was surprised when the words that tumbled from his lips were of a protective nature, "I'm sure that the Queen has very good reasons for such restrictions." He arched a defying brow at the mirror who scolded back at him but said nothing.

Regina was momentarily stunned by the nature of his words, so much that at first she had not even noticed that he had actually stepped in front of her in order to deliver the words to the mirror. There was something odd emanating from him, something warm and protective that Regina had discovered the night before that he was capable of sharing.

The small spell was broken when the mirror's voice sounded again, he seemed a bit too confident for his own good, "I could-" he started, looking at Regina with mischief in his dark eyes, she felt sick, "-keep on looking for her your majesty." He tilted his head a little wanting to sound superior, "You do know _I'm_ your best chance at finding her. Maybe we could come to another sort of _agreement_ with more flexible rules." He smirked when he finished and Regina was pretty sure the outlaw was about to punch the mirror had she not placed her hand on his shoulder.

Regina was so sick, so tired of having people want to use her. She suddenly felt very angry, somehow she could feel Robin was angry as well. She could feel the fury emanating from him, the rage suddenly invading her body through the hand she had on his shoulder, his own singular brand of hate started coursing through her veins. Upon impulse, Regina extended the other hand and somehow managed to grasp the genie's throat even if he was inside the mirror.

"You will keep on looking for her," she said in between gritted teeth, gripping his throat a little tighter for good measure, "-for that was your vow and your duty." She squeezed harder, "Do not try my patience, as of late, it has been running thin rather fast."

She gave him one mighty squeeze with the abnormal force that she could only her magic was creating, she was using force enough to snap his neck, were he made of flesh and bone.

The man managed to choke out an answer that seemed like a "Yes, your majesty" and Regina took a deep breath before she released him. He gasped for air with his eyes wide with terror.

"Now tell me where she was last night!" she roared.

"A-" he still struggled for air, it took him a few moments to compose himself, "She was-" he took a generous intake of breath, "Not far from here. She has apparently been with the dwarves ever since she left King George's castle." He informed her, "They had some business at one of the villages in your very kingdom last night, in this house."

Regina's eyes were glued to the reflection as the image changed to show the insides of a humble house, most of the furniture was made out of wood, a lot of hideous crochet art hung about the curtains, sofa and tables, some might say it was cozy, but Regina was not one of those people. There was an old lady with gray hair pined up carelessly above her head sitting on a rocking chair, she was a little on the heavy side and wore half-moon glasses on the tip on her nose. She was knitting and seemed completely immersed in her activity.

"This is where I last spotted Snow White-" the genie's voice sounded, "-she spoke to the young woman who lives in this house in hushed tones and in the dark. I could not see the young woman's face very well, only that she wore a blood red cape."

As soon as the genie stopped speaking, as if on cue, the old woman's head snapped up, she sniffed something in the air and she dropped her needles at once. She reached out for the other side of the chair, and before Regina knew it, was pointing a crossbow at the mirror the genie was using to broadcast the image. The connection was lost.

"I apologize your majesty-" the genie's face was again inside the mirror, much to Regina's dismay, "She must have sensed the magic somehow-" He stuttered, Regina lifted her hand in a dismissive way, tired of his ramblings and the man added quickly. "I do not know which village that was, but from what I could overhear, it has been suffering werewolf attacks."

Regina regarded him with distaste, "You don't." she told him, "But I do." She had had enough, "Be gone!" she waved her hand and that annoying man's image was finally gone from her presence.

There was a moment of silence in which Regina thought of what she could do with this newfound information. Snow was clearly upset, there was definitely something going on between her and Prince David, the pretender. Regina had to do something about those newfound allies of hers, the dwarves and plain looking peasants that somehow could smell magic. This was not good. Regina had to know what she would be up against.

"I need to send out a scout, a spy to learn more about these people and maybe even find out Snow's hideout-" she thought aloud, the outlaw hummed to her statement and she turned around to meet his eye, "I am pretty sure that old bag with a crossbow knows something."

"It would appear so," he had placed two fingers to his lips, "since the meeting with the red capped girl was inside the old bag's house-" His gaze shifted from her for a beat as he regarded the broken mirror once more. "I wouldn't underestimate her though, from what I could see, she _does_ know how to handle that crossbow."

"I would have to send someone good, someone I can trust." He cleaned his throat and Regina tilted her head to the side a little and continued to speak, "It can't be you!"

"Why on earth not?" he pretended to be wounded as his voice went up a little bit.

"Because-" she lifted her arms exasperated, "-you have left behind a rather long trail of 'innocent' blood, even before you came into my service. And now you're mostly known as _my_ heartless henchman, no one will trust you with any information about Snow White-"

"Oh!" he interrupted her and lifted his finger, "Does that mean that _you_ trust me?"

Her eyes widened and an icy insecure feeling took over for a second, she knew she had grown paler, she felt her face cold and her hands turn into fists.

He was no idiot, even though she had not said anything, he noticed the shift in her disposition.

"I won't turn on you," he told her, his tone also had changed completely, he was dead serious and for some strange reason Regina knew that he spoke the truth.

_Or maybe you are far too involved to tell the difference between a lie and the truth. Haven't you considered that possibility dearie?_ That annoying impish voice mocked at the back of her head, it giggled that atrocious laugh and Regina felt like punching it on the face.

She gave him an icy stare, her face was hard, "You'd better not." She tried to sound as emotionless as possible.

"I won't." he gave her simply, his eyes vibrated with something different, "You have my word."

For a moment Regina could only stare at him, at how absolutely serious he was about what he was saying, even though he did not seem to have a drop of honor left in him – or so she thought – he was giving her his word, and she found herself believing him.

She finally nodded and he exhaled through his mouth producing an exasperated noise.

There was a brief silence between them until he broke it, "It's going to be hard finding a person who fits the description."

She had to agree, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but you're right-" she started pacing while she ran through a list of people she might use, "It has to be someone common, someone they won't even notice." She wet her lips, "And yet someone who is skilled enough to extract the information without those dumbass allies of Snow not even noticing-"

She stopped midsentence and her pacing altogether.

_How could have she been so stupid?_

If you want a job well done, you have to do it yourself. Otherwise, you end up with barking mad blind witches staining the carpets of your castle with their filthy blood.

She smirked victoriously and the outlaw frowned at her, confused.

"I've got it." She beamed.

"You do?" he asked, still looking a little perplexed.

"I'll go." She gave him simply.

He laughed and Regina felt like shoving a fireball down his throat, "Your majesty, with all due respect, but, no matter how your techniques of persuasion are-" he cleaned his throat, "-effective. I don't think they'll be too eager to share the information with you."

"I know that you buffoon," she rolled her eyes at him, "Which is why old Granny won't see this face when I speak to her." Regina called on her magic. The spell she had used only the day before on Hansel and Gretel. The glamour that would give her another face. The golden yellow, shimmery smoke engulfed her face and she could hear the outlaw release a small gasp.

The smoke cleared and the man's frown only deepened when he saw her face again.

"What?" Regina asked, patting her own face, "Do I have a mole?"

He chuckled and told her, "No, you look exactly the same."

Before Regina could say anything, another voice rang about the room, a voice that normally only Regina could hear, for it haunted her thoughts along with several others.

"He's right dearie-" as soon as the impish tone reached her ears, Regina turned sharply towards the sound. Rumpelstiltskin sat on top of a large wardrobe with his legs crossed, his disgusting looking golden skin shinning and that irritating smirk – as if he had all of the answers – on his lips. Regina was reluctant to admit that he probably did, he had been the one who had taught her most of the magic she knew, like the spell that had just gone wrong for some reason.

"What do you want Rumple?" Regina asked annoyed, she did not feel like making deals with that imp. She suddenly felt the thief's presence beside her and looked at him confused. His face was hard, his hands were in fists and his eyes threw daggers at the small but powerful man sitting on the wardrobe.

"Why-" he gesticulated with his hands in a flamboyant way, "I want to help you of course!" he gave her with an air of faked innocence.

"I don't need your help," Regina spat back at him.

"Oh, I think you do-" he uncrossed his legs and had an odd glint in his horribly dark eyes, "Even your little _boyfriend_ could tell your magic was ineffective." He giggled and Regina swallowed hard and gritted her teeth at that infernal term _'boyfriend'_, it was the second time someone had referred to him as such and for some reason, it made her mad. She could feel the man beside her grow angrier as well.

The imp had the nerve to smile down at them and continued, "You see, the spell you just used works to make your features change to _one_ person alone. The rest of the world will still see you as you truly are." He giggled. Robin made to take a step forward but she stopped him with a light touch of the back of her hand to his middle. "Quite effective to use it on those two mice so their father could never see their true faces-" he gave her a look that seemed as if he knew about everything, "-but not very helpful when you're trying to go by unnoticed."

Regina arched an unimpressed brow, kicking herself inwardly for forgetting of such an important detail, "I don't need your help Rumple-" she smirked, "-I can just brew a-"

"Don't take me for a fool dearie-" he interrupted her, his tone grew rather serious, "-you as well as I know that Polyjuice will take you a month to brew. And I am pretty sure you are not willing to wait that long to get your clutches on your stepdaughter, her trail will be long gone by then." He crossed his arms about his chest, waiting for her response.

_Damn him_

Regina huffed, "Let me guess-" she licked her lips, "You can teach me the spell that will shapeshift me to all eyes instead of just one pair."

"Oh no dearie-" he laughed placing his palms of his twiggy thighs, "-neither I nor you has time for all _that_." He spoke with pompousness now as he placed one hand to his chest proudly, "_I_ can cast the spell on _you_." He gauged for her reaction for a few seconds but Regina chose to remain like a stone. _Like hell I am going to let him place a spell on me_, she thought. He took in a breath to speak again but was cut by the outlaw's voice.

"For a price." The man sounded angry, and Regina's head shot in his direction, she was more surprised than mad at the fact that he had interrupted. He tilted his chin up a little, "What's the catch?"

"How very observant of you," the imp turned his dark gaze towards the thief for the first time since he had made his presence known. Regina could sense a heavy amount of animosity between the two of them and could not help but wonder why.

There was a moment of silence in which both men held each other's gaze, Regina looked from one to another and broke the silence, "Well?"

"My maid" the imp said still looking at the outlaw, "Where is she?" he then turned his head ever so slowly towards Regina, like a viper waiting to pounce.

_Oh, the girl_, Regina thought, Rumple's apparent weak spot who resided in one of Regina's many prison cells.

Regina decided to play dumb, "That girl I met on the road?" she asked innocently, twisting her face in mockery, showing Rumple she knew only too well what that girl meant to him. "What was her name? Margie? Berna?"

"Belle" to her surprise, the outlaw's voice was the one to utter the correct name, as he was standing a few feet behind her, Regina turned to face him and gave him a look that told him to shut the hell up before he ruined everything. His eyes were oddly hard, but he seemed to grasp what she meant.

"Right," she gave the outlaw before spinning back to face Rumple who was no longer sitting on the wardrobe but standing a couple of paces away from her. She regarded him for a beat, "You can rest assured I had nothing to do with that tragedy."

The imp's eyes grew impossibly large but he did not move otherwise, his hands clenched each other in his front and he stood uncomfortably straight, "What tragedy?" his lips barely moved when he spoke.

Regina smirked and huffed out a small mocking laugh, "You _really_ don't know?" she felt dark pleasure invade her very soul as she came up with a twisted and awful tale to tell the imp. He deserved it. Regina was pretty much aware of the fact that he had tricked her, had been tricking her all this time in order for her to surrender to her dark side, for her to yield dark magic and let it consume her. He had succeeded in making a monster out of Regina. She did not know the reasoning behind it, why he had done this to her. But she knew that he deserved to suffer for it.

"She went back home only to find out her fiancé was missing. He had mysteriously disappeared after he had set off in a journey to rescue her from _you_." She told her tale and the imp listened inventively. "She sought refuge with her father, but-" she licked her lips, loving the tension she had built hanging in the air, feeding in the agony she knew Rumple was feeling, "-he cut her off, shunned her and disowned her."

"She's-" Rumple spoke in a small voice Regina hardly recognized, "She's alone, then?" she could hear traces of hope in his tone, "She needs a home?"

_Oh, she was going to enjoy this._

"Her own father had her seized the moment she set foot into his castle." She delivered with certainty, Regina knew she could lie her way around _anything_, "She was accused of having murdered her own fiancé because of her association with _you_." Regina made sure to emphasize that last word and saw that it hit hard on the little man in front of her, "Her father locked her up in a tower and had clerks cleanse her soul with scorching floggings and several other nasty rituals her silly people believe in." Regina could trace terror, misery, despair and disbelief dance about the imp's eyes, it had worked.

"After a few days she threw herself off the tower." Regina delivered her last blow as if it was nothing, "She died."

The silence that followed that moment was heavy and uncomfortable, nevertheless, Regina felt victorious. Let that despicable man experience a little of the utter misery she had to go through all her life.

"You're lying" he pointed his slightly crooked and glittery green finger at her.

"Am I?" she shot back at him with so much conviction she herself would have believed it.

His finger dropped and so did his head, that was a very first for Regina to witness. The great Rumpelstiltskin hanging his head, _defeated_.

"Well, I complied with my end of the bargain." Regina's voice cut down the silence.

Rumple did not move a muscle for a moment. He then lifted his head and looked straight at the outlaw, who stood a few feet behind her, something strange danced about his eyes. He then flexed his fingers and a golden, thick smoke suddenly engulfed Regina's entire frame. For the first few seconds she was afraid he had set off something other than what she had asked, as revenge for that unfortunate tale, for she felt a strange chill and as if the mist had found it's way under her skin, making her shiver.

When the smoke cleared, she was oddly sure he had used the right spell on her. She looked down at her hands to find her skin had grown a few shades darker. She was no longer wearing her fine silks but simple corseted brown dress. Her hands felt at her waist and she could fell as well as see that she was still slim, her breasts felt a little bigger. Her fingers slid up, reaching to touch her hair, it was thicker and curlier, much shorter than before, but still pitch black. Her fingers slipped about her features and she could feel she was still young – no wrinkles to be accounted for – her jaw line still thin and feminine, but she knew she was definitely _different_.

"You will need to call on me to undo the spell," Rumple's voice rang again, he looked deeply wounded, like he was hurting very bad on the inside, but there was a dangerous glimmer in his eye Regina could not understand, "We're done here." And with that he disappeared in cloud of dark smoke.

There was a moment of silence in which Regina ran her hands about her new cotton frock trying to soothe the wrinkles it came with. She had her back turned to the outlaw but she could hear him shift from one foot to the other.

"Why did you say that to him?" his voice finally broke the silence, "The girl is alive, you know that. She's here, I brought her to you." He really did not get it. She should not expect him to, she had disclosed some things about herself to him the night before, but not everything, not _this_.

Regina inspected her new hands again and shrugged wondering how she looked. She turned to face him with an answer on her lips, but it died as soon she heard the loud gasp he released and saw the expression on his face.

He tripped backways looking absolutely haunted, as if he had seen a ghost. His eyes were huge with astonishment as he looked her up and down, he had grown rather pale with terror.

"What?" Regina brought her hands to her face, wondering what was wrong. The man before her looked downright shocked, utterly petrified, Rumpelstiltskin must have done an awful job on her features to justify the look of horror in the outlaw's face. "Is it that bad?" she asked and noticed that she still had her own voice, which was very odd.

Regina turned her back on the thief who stood petrified on the spot, and walked to the full-length mirror in order to inspect herself. The dress was incredibly simple, awfully brown and common, which was not much to Regina's liking. But beyond that, she looked rather decent, dare she say it, even pretty. Rumpelstiltskin had given her the face of a woman that had to be near Regina's own age, her skin was indeed a little darker but her features were gentle and attractive. Her hair was shorter and a little of it was done up in a simple hairdo. Regina kept on looking for something wrong, but could not seem to find any fault with her disguise, only that maybe she was far too good looking to go by unnoticed in a crowd.

She spun on her heel to face the still fossilized looking man once more, "What the hell is wrong with you?" she was growing rather impatient, his eyes roamed about her figure almost desperately, his mouth slightly agape.

"You still sound like you, not-" his voice came out weak, almost a whisper.

Regina frowned at his tone but had to acknowledge what he had just stated, "Yes," she sighed, placing her hands on her hips, "I'm going to have to be careful about that." She continued more to herself.

Even though the thief was in some manner of distress over her looks, Regina could not see it being too serious, maybe it was just the shock after seeing the dark one's magic. She had more important things to worry about. Like how she was going to get to that village _and_ find the house of the crossbow old lady. And most importantly, how on earth was she going to extract the precious information from the old bag. She clearly was more than met the eye.

Regina pictured the whereabouts of the village she had seen in the mirror, picturing a solitary spot so she transport herself with magic. She called on her magic, and although she felt the bubbling energy of her dark sorcery, it did not reach the surface.

"Ugh not again!" she half whined, half yelped, "THAT IMP!" she nearly screamed. Of course, Rumple had found a way to detain her magic with his own spell. How could she have been so stupid in letting him use magic on her?

She exhaled, trying to calm her nerves. Her head suddenly snapped in the direction of the thief, who no longer looked as if he had seen a ghost but had an unreadable expression on his face.

"In answering your previous question-" she told him bitterly, "-I told that _imp_ that misfortunate tale because he deserved to suffer for it."

"And he deemed that I should suffer as well," Robin spoke in an odd tone.

Regina felt a stab in her heart and she did not even know why, "What is that supposed to mean?" she whispered dangerously.

He blinked a couple of times before placing both his hands in front of his middle and speaking with his normal, or at least _faked_ normal tone, "Nothing your majesty."

Regina regarded him for a good long beat, his face was hard and very difficult to read, it was as if he had built a wall, a barrier between her perception and his eyes, they did not betray him on the very least. She figured he had learned from her after all, whatever it was that he was trying to hide, she would eventually find out.

She huffed and told him, "Grab my arm."

"What?" he asked confused, "Why?"

"Because_ my_ castle is way too well guarded you idiot," she squinted a little when she spoke, as if stating the obvious, "Guards, maids and pageboys know who is from the castle, and this face-" she made a round movement near her face with her hand, "-does not work in the castle."

…

He seemed stiff the whole way there. Not the good kind of stiff, but an odd, uncomfortable sort, as if he was holding something very strong back. He would scarcely look at her, although that might have been part of the act of walking her out of the castle without rising suspicion.

Even though Regina's magic was not able to surface, another thing most certainly did, _fear_. The idea of being out there in the world without her magic made Regina grateful for the fact that she was not wearing her own face. Fear also came on the account of the thief since he had been acting odd ever since her transformation. And given they had spent a far too revealing night together, and now she just happened to have no powers at her disposal, Regina could not help but be afraid.

He had insisted they went by his chambers before heading down to Regina's desired location. She did not know what he wanted in his rooms, for she was left standing by the door outside, but the man did not take a minute inside, quickly emerging, grabbing her arm and resuming their journey. Not a word was uttered.

The day was infuriatingly sunny, and yet a slightly cold breeze soothed the heat. On their way to the stables, Regina was glad to notice that the earth was dry and there were very little clouds in the sky, no mud, no rain, she would get to the village faster.

When they arrived at the stables, he still had her seized by her upper arm which was rather uncomfortable but necessary, they had to keep appearances. Robin nodded at the stable hand in charge, the man quickly bowed his head and left the place, there did not seem to be anybody else inside but the horses.

"Anybody there?" Regina called out, but no reply came.

"It's Sunday, your majesty." The thief gave her looking ahead, "They're all home."

Regina huffed in reply to his statement and quickly freed herself from his burning grip, "Come." She uttered walking up ahead of him towards the east side of the large stables.

She guided him through the straw covered corridors, Regina knew the place almost like the back of her hand, having had spent a lot of time there when she was young, especially late at night when sleep would not come, and the prying eyes of the stable hands were not on her.

Obviously, Regina had mixed feeling about being at the stables at all, which were even worsened by the presence of thief. The not so attractive smell, the scattered hay, the baskets filled with apples here and there, brought back memories she preferred to keep at bay.

Upon passing by an empty stall, Regina remembered something that made a small smile crack on her lips. She stopped on her tracks, making the thief almost run into her.

He looked puzzled at the empty space, "Are you seriously taking the ghost horse?" he asked.

"Ghost horse?" she turned to him with that small smile still on her lips and could see how much it affected him.

He turned his gaze from her and regarded the empty stall while speaking, "It's just a silly story the stable hands came up with to explain-" his tone was final, as if he did not want to talk about it anymore, or maybe just not talk to _her_. He continued anyway after she hummed in agreement to what he had just said, "They say there's a horse ghost living in this stall, no one can get a single animal to come near it."

Regina chuckled, "That's because there is-" she waved her hand about the empty space praying that she could at least show him what was beneath her spell. She was victorious for there appeared a full-grown horse with shinny chocolate brown hair. He was laying on the ground on his side, just as she had left him all those years ago. His tongue was hanging out of his mouth and the once beautiful chocolate brown eyes wide open.

The man beside her took a step back and asked in a half whisper, "Is it dead?"

"Actually no," Regina said conversationally, "He's only asleep actually."

"It does not look asleep" the man regarded the horse as if it was a being from another world.

"But it is-" she told him, "You see, I myself cursed him. This was Snow's _second_ horse, she discarded of her first horse when it took a better liking to _me_ than _her_-" she smirked and added, "-much like her betrothed." She huffed out a laugh, looking up at the ceiling and thinking of Jamie for a second before she continued, "This, second beast, was a prize winner, special breed, came to Snow already fully grown and trained. She _loved_ him." Regina spat the word love like it was venom, she turned to the thief who still regarded the still animal.

"Leopold _took_ this animal from its owner." She continued bitterly, "As all Kings take what does not belong to them because they _think_ they were born with that right." She took a deep breath, "The young woman's name was Renée and I heard that she had cried for three days straight after they took her best friend. I even went to see it for myself-" the man turned to her with puzzlement in his expression, "She was distraught and rightly so, her parents seemed to think it was some sort of blessing that the King would prize anything of theirs. I wanted to give Renée her horse back but knew that was impossible, so I gave her a precious stone the King had presented to me that would feed her for this and another lifetime."

"Meanwhile, Snow amused herself with her new toy and Gods-" she was silent for a moment looking up at the ceiling remembering, "-you see,-" she turned to the man once more, looked him right in the eye while telling him, "-I do _hate_ her. So I decided to try out the curse I had fantasied about using on her on her precious _pet_."

By the point the thief's mouth was hanging slightly ajar, "Which is?" he managed to ask.

"Neither life nor death, an eternal middle. Eternal sleep being haunted by your worst nightmares-" she spoke with gusto, loving the way his shock was evident in his wide eyes, Regina added, "Well, at least for the first hundred years or so, after that I have no idea what happens. The first person to fall under it has been asleep for five or so years now."

"That sounds-" he spoke again seemingly trying to take all that information in, Regina expected him to say 'vicious', 'awful', 'interesting' but he surprised her again, "-fitting."

"You really think so?" she asked him, truly curious.

"Yes-" he himself seemed a bit puzzled with his answer, "Don't know why, but it does."

"Glad I have your approval," she spoke again. Regina waved her hand and the image of the 'sleeping' horse became invisible again. She did not give the thief a second glance before turning away from the stall and walking towards another, "I would have done it anyway even if you hadn't liked it."

She could swear she heard him mutter, "Of that I have no doubt." But decided to ignore it.

A few corridors later, they finally arrived at the stall she was interested in, one she had made extra large and extra comfortable for the one who for a very long time had been her only friend in the world, Rocinante.

"There's a beauty." She heard his voice behind her.

"Rocinante" she said not looking back at him but taking an apple from a bag just outside the stall and unlocking the door.

"Pardon?" she heard him reply.

"Her name is Rocinante." she explained while getting inside the stall. Rocinante gave her the oddest look and Regina had to kick herself inwardly. Obviously, her old friend found it odd that a strange woman would simply walk into her space. Regina kept her distance but smiled at the mare, bringing the apple up so Rocinante could see it.

"Rocinante, it's me." She spoke in the tone her mare was used to, sweet and easy. She had to thank her lucky stars she had retained her voice.

It took her a few moments, but Rocinante soon realized that the woman standing by with an apple was in fact her oldest friend, and let Regina approach.

Regina had to wonder how animals saw the world. She had always been of the opinion that they could see things we could not, they could see into our souls, and that, no matter how good a disguise you wear, never changed. Rocinante accepted the apple and Regina sighed while caressing her old friend's side.

The easy silence was broken by the outlaw, "Your majesty," Regina looked at him with an absent minded smile on her lips that seemed to once again daunt the man. He cleared his throat looking at the floor and continued, "A word?"

Regina huffed but complied, leaving Rocinante to enjoy her apple while she exited the stall and met the man just outside, "What?"

He lifted his shirt and the first thing that came to Regina's mind was that he was far too daring for her liking. She was not going to do anything inappropriate in the stables, and most certainly not in front of her mare!

Her ideas were quickly changed when he simply collected a small dagger that he had been hiding under his shirt, on the waistband of his trousers, and held it out for her to take.

"Here." He told her, "Take it, you don't have your magic to protect yourself, at least take some sort of weapon." She took the tiny weapon on reflex for it was being held in front of her, but truth be told, Regina was quite surprised he would think of this.

No rude remarks, no snappy comment came to her mind, the weapon was small but Regina knew it could be quite lethal in the right hands. The handle was carved with some interesting, if not pretty designs, the blade was sharp but not razor sharp.

She finally looked up at him and half whispered, "Thank you"

She did not wait to hear whatever he was going to say and turned away from him, placing the weapon skillfully in between her breasts. She went about to start prepping her Rocinante for riding, so she could get going, and also occupy her mind, that man was going to be the death of her.

The outlaw stood outside the now opened stall looking rather baffled as she went on to strap on the saddle and bridle. She could feel his eyes burn on her back and was trying very hard not to think of him at all, to concentrate in the task at hand, but that was proving to be very hard. Just as she was finishing up, he spoke again, "How on earth do you know how to do all that?" he sounded genuinely amazed.

Regina simply hummed while she gave the saddle one last pull in order to make sure it was strapped on firmly. She then stroked Rocinante's muzzle, closed her eyes for a second, and took a breath.

She was ready.

She quickly got on the mare and finally looked at the thief and smiled. He gave her a haunted look but said nothing. She led Rocinante out of the stall and passed him by, she turned back and gave him, "I told you I did not want to be a Queen," she did not know what possessed her to do it, but Regina winked at him before turning back and riding out of the stables and into the woods.

…

Regina rode hard and fast.

Rocinante might have easily seen behind the glamour, but Regina was still having some minor difficulties in maneuvering her new body. It was very much like her own, but still, there were some things that were simply different. She felt her arms much stronger than before, her breasts were slightly bigger which made a whole set of things more tricky than before. She realized only too late that she was also a bit shorter than she used to be, which meant that the adjustments she had made on Rocinante's saddle weren't _quite_ fitting her.

Still, she rode and tried to ignore those minor issues, focusing on the road ahead. She knew where she was heading, the genie had mentioned the village had been suffering attacks of a lone werewolf. He might not have known where it was, but Regina did, for she herself had ordered a party of black knights to investigate the place and bring her back _something_ on this lone creature. Regina had actually been interested in that kind of monster for quite some time. Having werewolves on her side, or even one, would help her track Snow White in mere hours. But her incompetent soldiers had come back empty handed, and one of them had not come back at all.

Maybe Regina could kill two birds with one stone, learn Snow's plans and get a werewolf on her side, in this small solo mission of hers.

_Solo_

Thinking of how she had chosen to be alone in this quest made her think of the thief she woke up on top of. He was a mystery to unfold, and the fact that she wanted to know more about him scared her out of her wits. He was so different from the men she had encountered in her lifetime. Dare she say that she could see a lot of herself in him? She did not know that much about his past, but enough to tell that he had not always been this way, darkness had feasted on his broken heart just as it had devoured on hers.

Regina did not know if she had gotten in too deep with the outlaw already. What she did know was that she did have strong feelings for him, but events like last night, in which she let small portion of them show, quite simply could not happen. She did not trust herself or him enough.

It took her about an hour on horseback to get to the village, she finally arrived at about noon. Regina dismounted Rocinante, instantly feeling a pang of pain on her legs – damned new, amazing position – and continued her quest on foot. The streets were busy but thankfully, also rather wide, so she chose to take Rocinante with her, not trusting any stables that could possibly house her.

The city was bigger and much more busy than she had imagined.

She found it odd how the place seemed to vibrate with intensity. The coloring of the flowers, drapes, and dresses seemed so much more vibrant – having condemned herself to living in a grey castle would do that to one's eyes apparently. Regina could not help but breathe in deeply, taking in everything about the small but vivacious town, and actually feel good. A small haven of peace just for her, just for a few moments where she could forget who she was and simply _be_. She could walk along the streets with not worrying about people cowering at her feet, or the brave – and foolish – trying to stand up against her dark magic. The feeling was freeing and odd.

Commerce was heavy and people here and there screamed and shouted in order to attract costumers. Regina imagined this was the very core of the city, where business was made during the day and ale was drunk when the moon came up.

People went about their daily routines, children ran about playing their silly games, a pair of young men played swordfight with wooden blades under the watchful eye of a man bound to be a parent. Three women passed Regina by carrying baskets filled with bread, they were chatting quite animatedly, their giggles kept Regina's attention on the group. A young boy suddenly came into the picture and started to recite what seemed to be a poem to the three ladies, who eyed him with contained smiles on their lips.

While they were distracted, a sleazy little girl with raven locks managed to steal two loafs. Regina chuckled at the whole thing and at the simplicity of everything she saw. Her blood ran cold when she spotted a black guard nearby. Thankfully, the man seemed more interested in talking to a blushing young woman with a generous bosom than reprimanding the sneaky pair.

Regina could count half a dozen blackguards about the streets, but while one of them flirted with that young lady, two others sat outside a tavern sharing generous jugs of ale. They clicked the metal things and Regina was tempted to scold them but quickly reminded herself that she did not look like the Queen that she was, such a thing would probably get her back to her castle, but straight to the dungeons.

_She should not be distracted by all this mundane nonsense_.

Regina had to figure out how she would get to that old woman, she did not even know a name or anything of the sort, only that the woman owned a crossbow and was a fan of knitting awfully distasteful-

"Hey!" a deep male voice called out.

Rocinante was the first to react by neighing loudly as Regina felt her arm being seized by a large hand. She was being pulled towards one direction by her mare, and to the opposite by the iron grip on her left upper arm.

Instinct kicked in and before she knew it, Regina released Rocinante, and turned towards the large man who was harassing her. She was not able to take in much of his appearance because her now free hand had turned into a fist and made contact with the man's face. She threw in all the strength that she could muster in the attack and it seemed to have its desired effect. The man immediately let go of her arm, so both his hands could go straight to the large area she had hit, his nose.

Rocinante was agitated because the intrusion but had not bolted, her old friend would never leave her. Regina could not care less about her attacker, so she turned towards her mare to try and soothe her. A few words and strokes to the muzzle did it, and Regina was surprised to notice that the man was still standing there, scrunching his face in pain. When he realized she had turned her attentions back towards him, he looked at her with an almost haunted look.

She stared back sending the message that she would give him a nice kick in the shins if he touched her again.

Curiously enough, just like the outlaw, the large man before her looked like he had seen a ghost, or more like, _was_ seeing a ghost. He was very tall but also rather fat, his hair was boring, dark brown, curly and almost reached his shoulders. He was young, maybe a little younger than Regina, but his beard was full, making him look a little older and a tad tougher. Most of the color had drained from his face – apart from the area of his nose – and he knitted his brows together as his dark, brown eyes regarded her with amazement and apprehension.

Regina broke the silence, "What? What do you want?"

He blinked a few times, his face still scrunched in confusion, "Milady-" he opened his mouth to speak further but no words seemed to come out, Regina's patience was wearing thin, she was starting to feel her knuckles hurt.

"Yes? You want another one? You like being hit?" she was a little exasperated by the whole thing, she had performed many violent acts before, but, somehow this one felt oddly different. For the first time in the longest time, her violence had not had a single drop of magic.

He frowned and said, "No, of course not." He cleared his throat and Regina took a step back, "Forgive me, I did not mean to startle you."

Regina eyed the man suspiciously, "So don't go about grabbing people, or you'll get that monstrous nose yours broken." She gave him.

The man had the nerve to chuckle at her words, "That punch would have hardly broken any nose." He grinned but regretted the move for it made his nose ache, "You went about it the wrong way."

Regina wanted to fry his ears and nose off, "And _you_ are supposed to be an expert?" she arched a brow. She took a couple steps forward, being guided by her irritation alone, "You are lucky I did not use my knee and aimed lower."

The smug expression dropped and the man seemed to have remembered his manners once again, "Forgive me milady-" he still looked at her funny, "-I truly did not mean to alarm you, much less get hit." He took a deep breath and switched his weight from one leg to another, "-but you look so much like someone I once knew."

Now it was Regina's turn to frown, there was a catch in her disguise, the imp never revealed all his secrets, she could not help but wonder what it was. First the outlaw looked at her as if she had grown another head and now this complete stranger told her that face was familiar.

Regina's curiosity won over and she decided to investigate, maybe 'all you can eat buffet' guy could help her with that. But in order for him to cooperate, she would have to toss her bitter disposition aside and pretend to be- _What was the word?_ Amiable.

"Do I?" she asked with true curiosity, "What is her name?" she felt extremely foolish while trying to do this correctly.

The man seemed to buy her act, but the smile he gave her was a sad one, "Her name _was_ Marian." He emphasized the word 'was' and looked down at his feet, "She passed away a little over a year ago."

"Oh." She did not expect that, "I'm sorry." Regina gave him, although she was not sorry at all. People died all of the time, most of the times, she was the cause behind it. Regina wanted to learn more, "Was she from this village?"

"Oh no," he looked up and continued, "We lived in a ca-" he stopped midsentence and Regina had to wonder why that was, he cleaned his throat and started again, "We, me and her, and the rest of our company, we used to live in the outskirts of Nottingham, at Sherwood Forest."

"Company? And actually _in_ the forest?" Regina asked, "Are you a nomad?"

"Not exactly," he itched his curly brown mess of hair, "More like-" he bit his lower lip, he was thinking so hard Regina could almost physically feel it, "-moving good doers." He concluded.

Regina was not able to suppress the look of complete unapologetic puzzlement she had on her face. She shook her head remembering something else and asked, "Nottingham? Prince John's domain?"

Wasn't the thief, _Robin_, from the whereabouts of Nottingham?

"That very same milady." The man replied, seemingly happy that she recognized the name. He seemed to remember his manners and gave her, "I'm John by the way."

"Re-" she stopped mid-word but it was too late, at the nick of the moment she could not think of a single other name beginning with 'Re' other than her own, "Regina, my name is Regina."

"Well, milady Regina," he bowed his head a little towards her and Regina was grateful he had not asked for her hand to kiss, "Forgive me for grabbing your arm." a small add of red to his cheeks accompanied his apology.

Regina smiled at him and hoped she could sell it, "Well, you did get what you deserved for it." They both laughed and Regina found that she had actually managed to get this man to trust her if only a little. There was a small pause and she took her leap of faith, "Could I possibly ask you something?"

"Of course!" his chest inflated a little bit and Regina knew she could ask just about anything.

"You say you and your friend were from Nottingham-" she started, she knew she should be asking about crossbow granny but her curiosity was going to be the death of her.

"Yes." he confirmed.

"I wonder, were any of you two ever able to meet-" Regina looked to the sides to see if there was anybody spying on them and spoke in a hushed tone, "-Robin Hood?"

The paleness his face had carried when he had first looked at her was nothing in comparison to how white he looked with her question.

He blinked a few times, his mouth was slightly ajar, "Robin Hood?" he half whispered.

"Yes," Regina found herself whispering with excitement. She felt childishly happy, what were the odds of a random stranger to actually _know_ her thief, "I have heard so many stories about-" she continued, trying to lure the man into disclosing anything about Robin's past but he cut her off.

"He's gone." His tone was dead serious.

"You mean he's dead?" she knew _that _was not true, for she had woken up on top of him that very morning.

"He might as well be." He told her looking to the side for a moment, his tone was filled with bitterness.

She still played dumb, "Why?"

He cleared his throat and glanced to the sides, checking for something, before he spoke, "Everything he stood for, everything good in him, it's gone." Regina was going to take a guess that this man had once been a member of the band of outlaws known as the Merry Men, "There is nothing left but darkness in that man, all he brings is disgrace and misery to the ones that cross his path." He practically spat.

Regina felt her heart tighten and for a split second wanted to argue that the man was wrong. She recalled the night before and wondered what she would have done had the outlaw, _Robin_, not intervened, had he not talked to her, touched her, soothed her worries away.

Obviously, defending Robin's conduct would blow her cover completely, so Regina railed in all that anguishing heartache and managed to ask, "But how did he sink so low?"

The big man, John, sighed and rubbed his eyes before answering, "After his Marian died, along with their baby boy, he lost his sense completely."

Regina's heart went cold, she felt goosebumps rise in her arms and was not able to hold back a gasp.

_Oh no_

"You mean-" Regina was connecting the dots and most certainly did not like the image it painted, "-the woman I resemble, _Marian_, was Robin Hood's wife?"

"Yes." the man sighed, he turned his head a little to the side and spoke softly, "Gods, you're the spitting image of her."

Everything made sense now. The reaction she had gotten from the thief, his stiffness, his haunted look, his insistence in not looking at her. Rumpelstiltskin was truly a cruel thing.

_And he deemed that I should suffer as well_, she could hear the outlaw's words ringing in her ears, now they made so much sense it was almost painful.

Regina could not help but imagine how she would have reacted if it had been the other way round, if the imp had shapeshifted the outlaw into her long lost stable boy. She would not have been capable of holding her cool like the outlaw had been able to. She had to remind herself that he no longer had a heart, but still, the feeling behind his eyes was painfully real. She could sense something was off and although he was quite skilled at hiding his true colors, she had known there was something amiss.

Now she knew what.

Regina felt her heart shrink with remorse and worry. She imagined how her very presence must have caused him a significant amount of suffering and felt even worst.

"Milady?" the fat man was speaking to her again, she had almost completely forgotten about him, he looked concerned.

"I'm sorry, I did not know," Regina spoke softly, but the words were more directed at Robin than at the large man standing before her. Her aching heart beat fast against her ribcage. At that moment, all she wanted was to simply disappear from that place and go back to that morning bliss she had had with the thief, _in her own skin_.

She reminded herself she had to focus on her mission, she was there in that cruel joke of a disguise for a reason, to learn the location of Snow White and to try to make an alliance with the werewolf that terrified the village. She had to think of a way that buffet devourer would trust her and help her find her way to crossbow granny.

She had learned more than she had bargained for about the outlaw.

Regina could not let her heart get in the way of her revenge.

"It's quite alright milady," he gave her a friendly smile and Regina thought that was a start, "You're not from here, are you?"

"No, I'm-" she had come up with a story and fast, luckily for her, there was one thing that Robin Hood, this man John, and Snow White had in common, they were all outlaws. Regina used her acting talents to twist the facts and make her untrue words sound real, "I'm an outlaw." She whispered and both the man's eyebrows shot up in surprise, Regina took that and gave her story it's best shot, "I have heard of an old woman who has been sheltering outlaws in this very village, they say she's quite skilled with a crossbow."

The man gave a hearty laugh and for a terrifying moment, Regina thought he was going to turn her to the blackguards. He placed his big hand on her shoulder and squeezed it a little, Regina had to use all the strength in her body not to sneer and shrug off the large hand.

"Granny Lucas' reputation most certainly proceeds her," he regarded Regina for a beat, "She also can throw a very mean punch, maybe she can teach you a few tricks."

This man did not know how lucky he was that Regina did not have her powers and that she actually needed him.

"Do you think she'll help me?" Regina asked truly hopeful.

"Don't worry milady, I'll take you to her."

…

Regina was apprehensive about this man, _John_. He seemed to believe her rather too quickly, and had been far too willing to assist her. She had always been the suspicious kind of person, always thought everyone did something _for_ something, and for all she knew, she was dealing with a _thief_. She was sure that at some point he would make his price known, Regina just hoped that by the time he did, she would at least have her magic back.

Nevertheless, she followed him, bringing Rocinante alongside them, which gave Regina some sense of security, were anything to happen, she could jump on her mare's back and ride as fast as she could.

Maybe this whole idea _was_ foolish, to go with this man she barely knew in search of a woman who aided her enemy. Yet something deep inside her reasoned that he was a bandit himself, he could not turn her to the black guards without getting himself taken as well. Plus, he seemed like the kind of honorable annoying person who always did the right thing. Regina had to wonder if Robin had once truly been like _this_. It seemed so unlikely given his lack of scruples, but if Regina knew one thing, it was the death of a loved one could affect a person in the most twisted ways.

They walked side by side but talked very little, for which Regina was thankful, she still had to make up an entire story about _'Regina, the bandit'_ so she could convince the old lady to trust her. It seemed a bit ironic that she would disguise herself as an outlaw, but what was downright cruel was the fact that she had to do so wearing Robin's dead wife's face. Regina had to wonder how was it that the imp knew how Robin's wife even looked like. Had they met before? The imp and the thief did not seem very content about seeing each other that morning.

The house was nowhere near the place where John had found her. She figured she would have wasted a very long time searching for it, for it was out of the way, off the market and city center. They had to track for some minutes about the outskirts of the woods and cross a bridge over a small river to get to the cottage. The place was the perfect hideaway, a wee house, somehow isolated from the rest of people, innocent looking enough, with a gray haired old lady by the door and the smell of freshly baked bread. No one would ever suspect a thing. But Regina knew appearances could be deceiving.

Regina had to thank her lucky stars for the old woman by the door was indeed the one she had seen on her mirror.

"Granny, this is Regina-" John said as they took their final steps towards the woman who smiled warmly at her, "-she says she's in need of shelter."

"It's only for one-" Regina started but stopped midsentence as the older woman moved quickly and started searching Regina, who was too stunned to react.

The woman patted her sides and her back, lifted her skirts and searched her legs for a weapon of some sort. Regina was able to feel victorious for a second before the woman found the dagger she had been hiding in between her breasts.

"There we are," the old woman had a rough accent that screamed that she was not from those parts, or even from Regina's kingdom at all. She was a little on the heavy side but not too much, her blue, old eyes glistened as she inspected the small blade Robin had given her, and Regina could not help but feel violated and robbed.

"Are you quite done?" Regina could not help but ask bitterly, wishing she could summon her magic and fry the old woman's face off.

"Yes quite." She had the nerve to reply and pocketed the dagger inside the pocket of her apron.

"Wait Granny-" John suddenly spoke, "Could I see that dagger?" he was frowning.

"Sure" the old woman said grabbing the blade again and handing it to John as if Regina was not there.

"That's mine." Regina could not help but protest, she knew she was doing no good for her cause acting out this way, but she quite simply could not help it.

"I know that-" the old woman replied, looking at her, "And I will give it back to ye when ye leave." Her accent was definitely of the people from the North, Jamie's people…

"And how am I supposed to protect myself without my weapon?" Regina was outraged.

"If you don't mind me asking, milady" John interrupted, "Where _did_ you get this beautifully hand carved blade?"

Regina swallowed hard. Of course that obnoxious man had recognized the blade. The fates were playing a very irritating game with Regina's heart condition and lying techniques.

"I found it," she said, she needed to sound convincing, "In the woods." Gods, she was sure she was sounding pathetic, "Near the Evil Queen's castle."

To her surprise, John spat to the side at the mention of her title, looking grim, Granny murmured something in her Gaelic mother tongue.

"That's where he is-" John said clearly more to himself than to the two women standing before him.

He tossed the dagger from one had to another in a haze and Granny frowned and asked, "Who is lad?"

That broke the spell on him, who replied, "No one Granny." He gave her a tight smile, "No one that matters."

"Very well" she extended her hand and John placed the dagger back in her palm, she pocketed Regina's only mean of protection again, "Ye're under me protection child-" Granny Lucas turned to her, "-ye will not be needing yer weapon here."

The fat man John had the audacity to give Regina a reprimanding look.

"What?" Regina spat at him, she knew that if she kept on showing her true colors she would blow her cover before she even got a chance to enter the house, "Am I to wonder around unarmed?" she rose a single brow at him.

"Of course not," the old lady agreed, "But rules are rules. No weapons in the house." She patted the pocket once more and looked Regina from top to bottom, seeming to examine her, which made her feel rather uncomfortable, "Now, let's get ye inside, shall we?"

…

John left, most thankfully, and Rocinante was left outside for her much deserved rest. Regina was ushered inside by the enigmatic woman John insisted upon calling _Granny_. The interior of the house was simple, woody, but cozy. There was a vast amount of colorful wool rolls and knitted everythings scattered about the place. Regina quickly spotted the rocking chair she had seen Granny Lucas knit before she grabbed her crossbow that morning. It faced a fireplace with a shelf on top of it, there, amongst trivial objects, Regina could see a mirror facing down, which reminded her to remain on her toes.

"Have ye eaten?" Granny asked her, snapping her out of her haze.

"I-" Regina started and had to think back at the last time she ate. She could not remember eating anything that day or a day before, "I had some wine yesterday evening-" She tried and Granny immediately shot her a look of reprimand.

"Ye young things-" she grabbed Regina by the arm and guided her through a door that led to the kitchen, the whole way she kept on babbling. "Ye think that a glass of wine will keep ye on yer feet?" she let go of Regina's arm, leaving her by a wooden table as she went on grabbing several objects and then putting them down in different places. She stopped and looked at Regina for a beat, "Wait until yer me age-"

Regina was a bit shocked about being dragged about the house and told off by a person she hardly knew, nevertheless, she had to maintain her cover, if she was too sour, the old bag would spill nothing, "I'm sorry, last night I was-" Regina tried to explain but stopped midsentence.

The old woman was setting the table and looked up when Regina stopped speaking, "Ye were what?"

Suddenly remembering the night before brought an involuntary blush to Regina's cheeks. The old woman simply smirked knowingly, "I see-" she continued to set the table, "-we usually forget a great number of things when we are-" she cleaned her throat, "How should I put it?" she looked up at Regina again, "_Otherwise engaged_."

Regina did not know why but that only managed to make her blush deepen, she felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment, which was ridiculous since she was definitely not ashamed of what she had done with the thief the prior night.

"Am I embarrassing ye, lass?" Granny asked having finished with the table and sitting herself down in one of the chairs, "Come-" she motioned for Regina to sit in the chair across from her, "Sit," she removed a clean cloth from a tray, revealing a freshly baked loaf of bread, "Eat."

Regina complied, sat and before she knew it, was eating the simple but surprisingly delicious bread in the most unladylike way, she was truly hungry and she had not even noticed.

"Forgive me-" Regina tried to give the old lady once she had eaten half of the loaf, "It's just-" she swallowed, "Talking of such things with an older woman makes me feel I'm talking to my mother." She tried to change the subject but noticed only too late she had entered an even worst territory.

"Was she a good mother?" Granny asked, she seemed interested.

"She was a horrible mother." Regina gave her with hesitation.

"How so?" the old lady inquired, bringing her arms to rest on the table.

"She killed my fiancé right in front of me because she thought I could do better than a stable boy." It was out of her lips before Regina could help it.

The woman in front of her made no sound, she did not need to, her expression was quite enough. It morphed from the initial shock, to pity and finally rested on something fierce and revolted.

The old woman broke the silence, "What happened after?"

Regina was thankful the woman did not take her hand and gave her the pity look and the _'I'm so sorry for your loss dear'_ that she was expecting. But she was asking for a story, so Regina put her half fake, half true tale to the test.

"I was forced to marry a man of high birth who was old enough to be my grandfather only a week after my fiancé was murdered. It was not what mother had said-" Regina swallowed, "Mother had assured me that-"Regina looked from the woman to stare at her hands on her lap, "He was not-" she entwined her fingers, looking at them fiercely, "He was not gentle." She had to stop there for a moment, given that this part was the truth, retelling it was affecting Regina more than she had expected.

She had to get ahold of herself.

"So I ran." Regina swallowed the tears that she knew would come if she kept on that track, "I took my mare and rode as far from that awful place as possible, never looked back. Have been on the run from him ever since. It has been years since that day, but now, at least, I'm free. I have the sky as my roof and the earth as my bed." Regina felt a pang in her heart in wondering if she would have been happier if she had just left all those years ago, or if she had simply gone into that tavern to meet the man with the lion-

"Yer a brave lass." Granny gave her, "Ye've got fire and quite a little bit of spunk, I respect that."

Regina lifted her eyes from her hands to meet Granny's gaze and the old woman was regarding her with a whole new look in her tired eyes, she thought she could even see some admiration in the mix.

"Thank you" Regina found herself saying sincerely.

The old woman smiled warmly at her. It seemed that Regina's tale had struck a hard chord with her. She could only hope that it had convinced her Regina was someone who could be trusted, a true outlaw on the run, a survivor.

Although, after being married to Leopold for ten torturous years, Regina was truly a _survivor_.

"And what of the man who gave ye the dagger?" she suddenly asked and Regina nearly choked on the bread she was now nibbling on, "Were ye protecting him from wee John?"

"I beg your pardon?" Regina was able to pull off.

"Ye dinna find this far too well maintained weapon in the woods," Granny gave her, "It was either given to ye, or ye stole it."

"I didn't steal it!" Regina responded without thinking.

"I hadn't thought so…" Granny was studying her.

Regina turned her attentions back to her loaf as she tried desperately not to blush. Gods, she was so afraid she was going to get caught, everything seemed to be going against her.

Granny sighed and finally asked, "So, who gave it to ye? Was it the lad who warmed yer bed last night? What is he to ye?"

Regina was a little dumbfounded that the woman was being so direct.

"How can you be sure he warmed my heart?" Regina replied.

"I may be old, and I may be a tad bit deaf of one ear, but I know that look and that particular kind of blush ye have on yer cheeks, lass." she said, "And I said 'bed', not 'heart'." She looked at Regina knowingly, a tiny smile on her lips as if she had seen that scene a dozen times before.

Regina felt her cheeks red and knew it was doing very little for her case, "It's nothing-" she managed, "Nothing serious just a-"

"My dear-" this time, Granny did place her hand on top of Regina's, "I'm not a fool-" she patted Regina's hand twice, "I have seen that twinkle that is sparkling in yer eye many times before." She released Regina's hand and took a deep breath, "It was wiped away from me granddaughter's eyes quite recently."

Regina was trying not to register the words the old woman was saying, for she did not want to acknowledge that whatever feeling she had towards the outlaw was 'twinkling' in her eyes.

Her voice was weak when she asked, "What happened?"

"He died," she said simply, "She feels responsible for it."

"Was she?" Regina was almost afraid to ask.

"Yes." the answer came fast and direct.

Granny stood up and crossed the kitchen, silence reigned but for her footsteps. She looked down at a basin on the floor and sighed, crouching down for a moment then coming back up with her hands on her hips.

"We'll have to get some more water." she said still looking down at the basin.

Regina hummed in response, still not quite knowing what to make of this strange woman.

Granny spoke again, "Pick up that bucket behind ye, lass." She pointed over Regina's shoulder.

Regina quickly got up to retrieve the object. Granny left her alone in the kitchen for a few moments before she returned wearing a knit shale over her shoulders and a crossbow in her arms. Regina stared at the woman for a little while a little unsure as to what to say.

"Ye don't think I can use it?" Granny asked the silent question holding the crossbow a little higher.

"No-" Regina started but immediately corrected herself, "I mean, yes-" She was stuttering, what was wrong with her? Had the mere mention of her feelings towards the outlaw left her in such a state?

Granny gave her a grave unimpressed look.

"What I meant to say was-" she managed to get her wits about her again, "Yes, I do think you can use the crossbow, forgive me Granny."

"'Tis all right." She gave her, turning her back on her and heading towards the door, "Yer not the first to doubt it." Regina followed her outside while the old woman continued to speak, "In fact, the last lass I helped-" Regina's ears picked up like a hunting dog's, "-had doubted I could even lift it."

"Really?" Regina asked, her heart started beating fast as they had finally gotten to the right subject, _Snow_.

"Aye-" Granny continued to speak while leading the way out, into the garden while Regina followed behind, "In fact-" she lifted one finger but did not turn around to deliver, "-that lass had that same twinkle in her green eyes, but they were sad and battered."

This was way too good to be true, Regina felt herself smile at the news of Snow being heart broken and tried to ignore the fact that the old bag had just compared her to Regina.

She could not help but ask just as they were crossing gate, "What happened to her?"

Granny took a breath to speak and turned around but her words died on her throat. Instead, her expression shifted from shock to complete anger as she aimed the crossbow in Regina's direction.

Her eyes were wide with fury and Regina could not understand why, the old woman spat out, "You!"

"What about me?" Regina asked waving her hands, dropping the bucket she had been holding, and that was when she saw it.

Her hands had turned back into their original color, her nails were now painted with deep red and her fingers sported several expensive rings. She slowly looked down at herself and saw she was no longer wearing brown, plain cotton but shiny, crimson taffeta, one of the many exquisite dresses she owned. The Queen owned.

She did not know how, but her cover was no longer, and by the look on Granny's face, the old woman knew only too well who she really was now.

Without warning, the old bag fired and by sheer luck, since her powers had returned, Regina had been ready and grabbed the arrow with her hand just before it hit her right in the middle of her eyes.

"Ye vile monster!" Granny spat at her and Regina could hardly recognize the woman who had been feeding her and telling about twinkling eyes only moments ago, "Ye will never have her."

Regina could not show weakness, Regina was, amongst a lot of things, rather pissed at the woman in front of her. She smirked and waved her had. The dagger that Granny had pocketed in her apron for safety reasons flew from its confines into Regina's grip.

"I believe since we are no longer inside the house that I can have my dagger back" she gave the mad looking old lady as she toyed with the blade, throwing it from one hand to another. "And you were right-" Regina found herself confessing to Granny, "It does belong to the man who warmed my bed last night." She grinned wickedly, "Tell John his _old friend_ sends his love." She laughed and Granny seemed to look even more angry.

"Now-" Regina gripped the dagger firmly in her right hand and pointed it towards Granny, "Where is Snow White hiding?"

The answer came quickly in the form of another damned arrow produced by the crossbow, Regina caught it, and threw it on the ground. She took a step forward and another arrow came flying her way, she caught it as well and snapped it with her bare hand.

Regina stood her ground, "Tell me where she is!" she nearly screamed.

Granny's eyes were cold and unfeeling as she released another arrow from her crossbow, and again, she was able to grab the arrow just before it hit its fatal target.

"I'm going to ask you one last time, don't test my patience grandma, you'll regret it dearly." She chose to wave her hand once and make the crossbow disappear so that Granny Lucas had much more of a disadvantage then. "The bandit Snow White, where is she?" Regina gave her one last chance. She had so many mixed feelings about what she would do if the old bag did not do as she was told. Maybe Regina could bully her into speaking, but she did not know if she had the heart to actually torture the information out of-

Suddenly, she did not have to decide anymore. For the woman in front of her, Granny Lucas, who had helped Snow White escape Regina's clutches far too many times, but who had also shown her compassion and understanding was gone. She simply disappeared.

"What?"

The answer as to why came quickly. An irritating giggle rang from behind her, and Regina immediately closed her eyes and huffed in annoyance, she spun on her heels to come face to face with the Dark One himself.

"Oops" he placed his overly glittered hand over his mouth.

"I'm in no mood for games." Her voice was low and dangerous, if the Dark One thought he was going to play with her, he was going to get more than he bargained for.

He let out another one of those annoying laughs only he seemed to be able to fabricate, and Regina found it odd that he was in such merry mood being that last time she had seen him, he had been heart broken.

"This was not part of the deal." She gave him, "I know the shapeshifting spell did not simply wear off." She took a step in his direction, "You lifted it right when that old sack of bones was going to tell me where Snow was hiding."

His face turned serious then as he replied, "There will be no more deals." Regina frowned at that alone, she made to say something but Rumple lifted a finger in order to silence her and continued, "_You_ broke our deal."

"I did no such thing." Regina's voice was a little weak as her heart rate accelerated with nervousness.

He squinted and waved his pointing finger in her direction, "Oh yes you did, you deceitful _snake_." That last insult got Regina by surprise and she had to suppress the gasp that almost came out. "Now-" he folded his arms about his front, "Return my maid Belle-" Regina's eyes went wide with that, "-or I _will_ turn you into a pot of Regina stew."

_Oh shit!_

Regina managed to keep her face from betraying her feelings, years of training had done the trick, but she could not help but feel a burning turmoil inside. She was scared, more than she would ever admit, and treading on a very sloppy surface, for she had never dealt with _this_ Rumple. One that was clearly in love. Regina knew love was weakness, but she also knew that love made people do unspeakable things, and being that she was dealing with Rumpelstiltskin, she could expect anything.

Regina had to rail in every insecure thought that haunted her mind in order to deal with this in the most logical way, in order to escape with her life and her prisoner, she was not giving up on neither since that girl was perfect leverage.

He had learned the truth, of course he had. Regina knew it was only a matter of time before he found out that the fate she had painted for beautiful Belle was simply a work of fiction, but he had been faster than she had expected.

She had to throw him off his game, right now he had a very clear advantage. Regina concentrated on her rage and wordlessly cast a protective shield about herself. She hoped her heart rate would return to normal with this small but still there defense.

She needed make him uneasy, he always made stupid decisions when he was distressed. Luckily for her, she had spent far too much time in the company of the imp, so she knew exactly where she should shove the blade and twist it. Plus, Regina had one thing that he did not, _Belle_.

"Oh!" she laughed, "Well-" she clasped her hands together and smiled, "This just got fun." Regina allowed herself to feel a little thrill at mocking the imp, "The great and powerful dark one-" she made sure to imitate his voice and ridiculous hand gestures, "-has gone through this much trouble because someone took his _maid_?" she mocked the title Rumple had given his one true love.

It seemed to work because the wicked smile he had been wearing dropped from his lips completely, "Coyness never suited you _dearie_." He practically spat it out, "I know you lied about her being dead, she has not been seen anywhere _near_ her father's kingdom ever since _I_ took her." He delivered in between his clenched teeth, his eyes were wide with a new tint of madness she had never seen before.

"Well-" Regina started, trying to sound as disinterested as she could, after all, she did not know how much he truly knew. "I have to admit I did make that up to amuse myself a little on the account of your misery." She gave him a wicked smile, "I mean, you did that to me for, what?" she looked up pretending to count, "Years!" she let out an amused laugh, "I learned from the best."

Regina might be pretending to have a lot of fun in poking fun out of the Dark One, but Rumple was not looking like he was going to swallow it for much longer.

"I know what you did _Regina_." He was dead serious, "I did not see a single trace of her in that kingdom _but-_" he lifted a finger, "-I did see _your_ raven."

"_My_ raven?" she asked amused, "Darling I don't use ravens, I use crows." She could almost breathe more at ease for it seemed as if the imp did not know about the fact that Regina had Belle locked in a cell. She had to pat herself on the shoulder for not keeping her in the dungeons but high in a prison tower nearly no one had access to.

But more than that, for Regina had not sent any of her winged spies to Belle's kingdom, which could only mean that Rumple was either trying to point the blame at her at all costs, or that he was far too distracted by his emotions to truly grasp the truth of the situation. Either way, these two things served Regina quite well.

"But _you_-" now it was her turn to point a finger at him, "-you don't usually make stupid mistakes." She took a step towards him and knew that now was the perfect moment to pin Rumple's love for Belle against him, "Which means something's got under your skin." She gasped in mocked and faked surprise, "You're emotional over this _Belle_." Regina pronounced the name so thoroughly it sounded like an insult. She was happy to find her act had it's desired effect.

"You're lying-" his tone was low but she could see uncertainty in his black horrid eyes.

"You like this girl!" Regina beamed and threw the fact at his face.

"I own her!" he nearly shouted, "Nobody takes what's mine!" he was clearly so very taken with Belle, and Regina could not help but roll her eyes comically at his distress.

Teasing the man about this particular thing gave Regina an odd type of pleasure. She then realized that this was pay back for the time he made her believe she could bring Daniel back, when he mocked _her_ love and told her to toss it aside.

_Love is weakness_

_And now, look at him_, the heartless queen's voice spoke, _barely able to tell truth from lie. Love has blinded him._

_You have his weakness_, the evil queen whispered in her ear.

_Love is weakness_, both queens spoke in unison.

"You're quite lucky it wasn't _you_-" he brought her back to the here and then, he sounded more serious than mad, which was not a good thing but he did seem to believe Regina had nothing to do with Belle's disappearance, "But do not try me any further." He pointed his glittery finger at her again threateningly, "Do not give me any further reason to unleash my wrath. Because if I do, it won't be pretty."

Regina knew she was acting a little suicidal but she quite simply could not resist the pun, "Pretty?" she released a small laugh, "Pretty like _Belle_?" she made sure to use her tongue all the way to pronounce the girl's name.

His face was paralyzed with anger and Regina could not help but laugh at him, she was really getting to a hurtful place and it scared her half to death but excited her beyond belief at the same time.

"Don't test me." He warned her.

"I'm not testing you." Regina dismissed his words, "For once I'm giving you a bit of advice." She decided to stop her teasing for now, she wanted to enjoy this dish little by little, meeting by meeting. So she gave him the best and worse advice she ever got, "Be careful with that shrived-" she looked down at where his manhood was, or should have been, Regina really did not know if the imp possessed such a thing anymore but got a little nauseated at thinking about its color. She looked up instead and continued, "-dark heart of yours." She looked him right in the eye and finished, "Love is weakness, didn't you know that?"

Regina was able to feel victorious for exactly three seconds before Rumple huffed out a laugh, "Oh yes, I do-" it was now his time to look her uncomfortably in the eye, as if he knew something she didn't, "I once knew someone who lived by that saying-" he looked away from her, "-she probably still does."

"Probably." Regina tried to shrug away this new disposition of his, for some reason it made her uneasy.

"But you-" he turned back to her, looking at her funny, "You're one to talk."

"About what?" she was momentarily confused.

"About _love_ dearie." Malice danced in his eyes.

"My true love is _dead_ Rumple." Even after ten years, saying it aloud still stung at Regina's heart, "No one can use him against me."

He giggled and Regina felt dread invade her chest, "I'm not talking about _Daniel_, Regina."

It infuriated Regina that Rumple mocked her true love's name just as she had done with his own, making the name slip slowly from his _disgusting_ lips.

"Don't-" she could not help but loose her cool, "Don't you _dare_ say his name." she nearly screamed.

"Why on earth not?" he seemed to have gained his footing back completely while Regina was once again stepping on eggs, "After all, you've already handed his title to someone else." His eyes shone with anticipation, Regina had to fight not to swallow at that.

"You're completely demented Rumple." Regina wanted to dismiss him, wanted to tell him and herself that what he was getting at was not true, _could not be true_.

"Am I?" he challenged her with his stare, "Or has the thief stolen your reason as well as your heart?" he was gawking for a reaction.

Regina managed to laugh and do her best to conceal the truth, "Robin?" she spoke his name and realized too late that that was the very worst thing she could have possibly done.

"Oh, it's _Robin_ now?" Rumple rolled the 'R' on Robin and moved sideways in a dancy way, he seemed more excited than ever then.

"It's his name." her voice was grave and serious.

"_You_ don't call people by their names Regina." Rumple threw at her.

Gods, she cursed him for knowing her so well.

"You talk a big talk about love being a weakness." He got closer to her then, walking slowly like a hunter closing in on its prey, "But _you_-" he grinned, "-were sleeping right on top of yours, dearie."

Regina's eyes went wide at this but she decided to pick on the less aggravating of the problems in hand, "You were spying on me?" she looked at him as if he was covered in puke, "You twisted, _disgusting_-"

"I have spies everywhere," he talked as if he was the King of the world and Regina wanted to punch him, "-lucky for me, they refrain from telling me the more gory details-"

Regina had had enough of that, she did not want to digest that information just yet, so she interrupted him, "And why on earth did you give me his dead wife's face to wear as my glamour? What did that accomplish?"

He jumped like a circus monkey at that, clutching his hands in his front like an eager child, the sight was unsettling, "Well-" he licked his lips and looked more like a toad. "It did not accomplish anything for you-" he pointed at Regina, "But at that time I was in need of a bit of a laugh, and his shocked face and inability to speak did do the trick."

"You're sick." She spat at his face.

"Most definitely, yes-" he agreed nodding seriously, "But-" he gave her a show of his rotting teeth, "-so are you _Regina_."

Her heart started beating even faster against her ribcage and Regina did not know if it was because of the revelations Rumple had just made or the realization that she had somehow turned out like him, or even worst, like _her_, like mother.

He took a few more steps but did not come nose to nose with her, instead he chose to stand a few feet away, but too close for comfort somehow. His smile was intact as he crooked his head to the side and looked a tad more maniac than usual.

"Maybe it is you who should be taking your _mother's_ advice Regina." He made sure to pronounce 'mother' very slowly, "Love is weakness indeed." He widened his eyes at 'indeed', "And _you_ and that _pick-pocket_ don't fool me for a second."

…

**Thoughts?**


	20. Salted Wound pt 1

**I'm so sorry for the huge wait for this chapter, my life is insane, I've been working two jobs and doing ballet training and solving so many family issues, I have not had the time to write.**

**I began writing this chapter a while ago and the ideas just kept growing and growing. What I have posted right now is only **_**part one**_** of Chapter 19, which in its entirety is approximately **_**25k**_** words long. Part 2 will be posted soon, I promise!**

**Thank you so much Bea and Emily for the beta, you girls rock my world! **

**I hope you all enjoy it and let me know what you think!**

…

"Regina, my name is Regina"

It was as if Robin had been hit square in the chest by something quite inexplicable. The simplicity of her name felt like something so precious, so secretive, and she had chosen to share it with him. As soon as the name left her lips, and his ears picked up the lovely sound of '_Regina'_, the world around him changed.

Nothing in the room moved, both of them were still facing each other on their knees, but right before his eyes, several things that had been gray and obscure gained color, _just like magic_.

He had seen such a phenomenon happen before, the moment when he first saw her – when red was brought back to his reality – and that fateful day at the Royal Engagement Ball – he was then able to see the brown of her eyes. But every time a color was brought back to his reality, it felt simply magical.

This time it was as if a mystery, one of her many, had been finally uncovered. The light hitting her lovely features was no longer light gray but blue, her lips remained red, as they had always been, but now, the whole room was lit by a new soft indigo color of the moonlight.

Robin was lost in an odd trance for a moment, taking in that odd but simple feeling of being able to see the color blue again, something he never thought possible.

She looked scared, so vulnerable she almost looked like someone else.

"Regina-" her name escaped his lips like a prayer, and he could tell she was holding her breath.

He could feel her releasing a bit of that breath when he traced a delicate finger along her jaw. He was transfixed by her beauty in this newfound moonlight, intrigued by the woman behind those tears that kept pouring out of her chocolate brown eyes, and so connected to her soul that it physically hurt, the ever-present spark when they touched felt stronger than ever.

"Why did that upset you so?" he found himself asking her, he wanted to know, he wanted to help.

_Gods, what had she done to him?_

"No one stays, everybody leaves" her voice came out softly, it was so different from what he was used to that Robin hardly recognized it.

But their meaning hit a hard chord inside him.

At the end of the day, this enigmatic creature, who had apparently sold her soul to darkness, was lonely. So much so, that she invited strange children to live with her and now suffered because of their rejection.

Something burned fiercely inside Robin's chest, the words were out of his lips before he could think them through, "I stayed"

"I made you." Her eyes went back to find his, her voice was hoarse, her words bitter.

"You did-" he gave her, he felt the need to assure her that he did truly linger _for_ her, "-but not the way _you_ _think_ you did."

_But was it safe to let the truth out?_ Robin hardly knew what his feelings meant, they were inconsistent in nature but always so strong in intensity.

He chose to stay quiet, their noses a mere breath away from one another. He was slightly baffled when the stillness of the moment was broken by her lips crashing onto his own in a searing kiss. Robin was slightly taken aback at first and did not respond to the kiss accordingly, his mind overwhelmed with contradictory thoughts. The closing of her teeth on his lower lip woke him up and Robin started to respond to the fervent kisses the Queen was giving him.

But his mind was a tangled mess, he did not know if silence and kisses were truly better than actually being truthful about what he felt.

_What did _she_ feel, anyway?_ That question burned holes in his chest, as for the answer to it, at that moment, he would rather not hear it.

She tangled her fingers in his hair and broke the kiss, her stare was intense, but it carried a hint of hurt. He found himself completely out of words, his mouth still hanging open when she finally spoke.

"Robin," she called out his name like the siren that she was.

He brought their foreheads together and responded in a mere whisper, "Yes, Regina?"

Her next words neared on desperate, "Robin make me forget."

He knit his brows together and asked, "Are you certain?"

Her answer was a mere breath as she traced her thumb over his lips "Yes." the contact gave him goosebumps. "I don't want to think anymore-" she moistened her lips and continued, "-all I want is to feel."

He could tell the truth behind what she was saying frightened her, it even frightened him, but she kept going, her touch light and her words utterly sincere. "I want to feel _this-_" she closed the distance between their bodies, making that buzz jump free in between them, "-with _you_."

Her words lit a flame inside his chest, made him go over the edge. Robin took her words as confirmation that she truly felt that crazy energy in between them and the knowledge of that, made Robin loose the little that was left of his control. He felt the physical _need_ to ravage her mouth and wanted to touch her until that spark between them finally drove him mad. He was in such a state, that he would have done just about anything for her, just so he could have his name leave her lips with such passion one more time.

They went down the path they both knew only too well, having been physically intimate from the very start of their insane situation. But this time, every kiss, every touch felt somehow different to Robin, as if this time he was not sharing his pleasure with the Queen, but with someone else, with _Regina_.

Regina, the woman who hid under the surface, in his many months working for the Queen, he had only been able to see rare glimpses of Regina. She was the one that laughed without fear of making an odd sound, who bickered with him for her own amusement, but who also, most certainly, was shaken by this _thing_ they had.

Robin realized then that it had been _Regina_ who had been able to reawaken his slumbering soul, and even piece together some parts of his tarnished heart. He wanted to _know_ her, he wanted to _see_ more of her, so when the words "Lay down" left his lips, Robin didn't even know what he intended to do.

Her walls were momentarily up again, she hid under the suspicious façade of the Queen but obliged. She kept her eyes open, looking up at him with a taste of mistrust and fear, but also curiosity.

He did not touch her at first, he took this moment to look at her, _really_ look at her, half dressed, messed up hair, the red smeared around her lips, the watery trails of the many tears she had shed, still visible in that transfixing blue moonlight.

She averted her eyes from his as her cheeks gained a more intense shading of red. She looked so human, so vulnerable, so real. Not the marble goddess he had practically sold his soul to all those months ago, but a living and breathing woman with far too many ghosts.

Robin could not resist and touched her face lightly with the tips of his fingers, she closed her eyes then, seeming to relax a little, she looked more and more beautiful with each passing moment.

The words fell from his lips before he could think, "You are beautiful" it was a mere whisper but it made her eyes open again.

To Robin's surprise, a single tear fell from her eye as she gave him in a watery voice, "No, I'm not" she let out a humorless laugh, "I'm a mess" she confessed, her features betrayed how defeated and awful she felt, Robin wanted to punch a hole into the stomach of whomever had made her believe that.

He did not let his anger take over and tried to reassure her, giving her words filled with truth and compassion, "You're real, you've never looked more beautiful."

He knew she was going to fight this, she was going to disagree, tell him he had no idea of what he was talking about and that he did not know her at all. So when Regina opened her mouth to speak, Robin did not let the words see the light of day by stealing a kiss from her.

Robin had wanted to take it as slowly as possible, cherish this rare moment of true intimacy as much as he could, but the Queen was soon urging him to take her, and her silky soft legs had always been one of his many weaknesses. He did feel as if things would somehow change between the two of them after this night, after seeing to it that the Queen reached her peak screaming and satisfied – there was nothing quite like the sound of that woman's screeching orgasm – Robin let himself relax on the soft surface of the white rug. The last thing he remembered before sleep and exhaustion finally took him, was still having the Queen's weight upon him, the buzz was ever present, and hoping that maybe they could just stay like this.

_Just this once_.

…

Robin's body screamed at him, his back ached and he could not feel his left leg.

He was not sure what had woken him up, he felt as if he had been sleeping for 5 days straight but the rest had done very little to relax or recharge his body. There was a strange weight on him, a presence that was half-distressing, but also rather soothing, as if it belonged there, even though it made taking a deep breath impossible.

He risked popping a single eye open and that was when he it saw the source of said weight.

_Her_

She was asleep on top of him, _really_ sleeping, her head was turned to the side as her cheek rested on his shoulder, her legs were spread open as she lay on her belly and _oh_… Yes. They were both naked.

Robin blinked a few times, and had to hold back the gasp as he took in his surroundings and welcomed back the presence of blue to his world. He looked around, cataloguing everything that bore a somewhat bluish tinge and could not help but smirk at the light blue curtains, the soft flowery drawings of an empty water basin that rested on the nightstand, and the deep sapphire blue of the lacings he had removed from the Queen's corset the night before.

_The Queen_, he turned his attention back to her sleeping form.

But this was not the Queen per say, this was _Regina_, a facet of the Queen he seldom got to see. Before Robin knew it, his hand found the small of her back and started drawing small circles there, as he thought about the events of the night prior.

She had been a complete mess over what those children had said to her, which had led her to share more than she would have in normal circumstances. He could only imagine what she would do and how much she would screech when she woke up, so Robin reveled a little in that small quiet moment he had, with her still sound asleep and off guard.

She was beautiful in a wild and odd way, it went beyond the mere physical beauty that had him on his knees the very same day they met. He knew there was a determination and a fire within her, it made her brown eyes sparkle with something that drew him in like a moth to a flame.

She was a fearless leader, even in her half-crazy pursuit of Snow White, the Queen did not forget about the kingdom she was ruling. And rule she did, with more grace and dignity than he would have expected from a woman who had commissioned from him to carve out the heart of her own living and breathing stepdaughter.

Aside from all matters concerning Snow White, the Queen was rather reasonable and just, which at first took Robin by surprise, she was turning out to be quite a _good_ Queen. Some subjects did not think so, for she had risen taxes on some parts of her lands, but Robin had to agree that Leopold had been rather too _kind_ of a King, but in practical terms, his generosity could have led the kingdom to ruin if the Queen had not acted as she had. She was stern and firm, but just and fair, she had meddled with the taxes so all tenants paid proportions to their lands and not some made up number that would make them _happy_.

She was quite the leader, to some degree, just as he had been with the Merry Men, only her methods were far more unorthodox than his had been. But at present time, Robin did not give a shit about who got scorched by the trail of rage and destruction they left behind. He rather liked to kill, felt an odd sensation of fulfilment when he did. Robin had always enjoyed hunting animals, but there was something special about taking the life of a human being. Maybe it was because death had taken Marian so easily from him, now he wanted to toy with the fates of others just like death had toyed with his sanity the day she had died. He could not quite grasp why it was, but he could tell the Queen shared his pleasure in killing.

A hum coming from the lady sleeping on top of him, brought Robin back to the here and now. She was stirring, beginning to wake up, and Robin would do well to brace himself for whatever reaction that she would have to this tangled position they found themselves in. He should have stopped caressing the small of her back, but he did not. He was actually surprised to feel her place a soft kiss on his neck that made almost every hair on his body stand, amongst other things that had been already half erect.

He was sure she would scorch like a flaming dragon if she found him awake, so he decided to pretend he was half sleeping. He understood that she was reserved, did not like showing other people parts of her that she deemed personal and delicate, and she had exposed herself the night before, she had been truthful and real to a degree he had never seen.

Robin had to remind himself that she had also recoiled from him before, a few months ago when they had shared that insane adventure in the kingdom by the sea and had almost gotten killed by a pack of wolves. She had isolated herself for weeks after they had shared intense and revealing moments on top of that tree. He did not want for that to happen again.

When her eyes finally popped open, after her lips slurred his name, his own were half closed and Robin pretended to murmur something. Her expression changed from sleepy and relaxed to alarmed and scared very quickly, and Robin knew he was to act swiftly if he wanted to share a little bit more of that odd buzz.

"You know-" he gave her, his voice a little coarse, "-you're heavier than you look."

It worked! His seemingly careless attitude washed off the terrified expression from her features and gave way to her usual half-annoyed half-amused disposition. He encouraged the bantering, it was a safer ground for them, something they were used to, something they were almost comfortable with.

Obviously, the bantering evolved into something much more indecent in a very short time span, but Robin wasn't one to complain. It seemed as if the cat-like seductive Queen was back as she traced her tongue up his neck and whispered in his ear. Her hand had found its way downward and she stroked him once as she reveled in having this control over him.

Robin did not even dream about protesting even if she was teasing him mercilessly, but as fate would have it, it seemed as if he was not to be given a single moment to rest and enjoy himself.

That bloody mirror, genie, devil, _thing_, demanded to see the Queen and she obliged. She had given the genie access only after clothing the both of them and informing Robin that if the genie was able to get through the magical barriers of their deal, his information was truly valuable.

The information turned out to be quite important, he showed them an image of Snow White, walking through the woods in the company of seven dwarfs. Which was rather confusing to Robin since he knew for a fact that Prince David Charming, whomever he was, was quite taken with her, most likely head over heels in love with that pale faced brat.

_So why would she be prancing around the woods with seven dwarfs for fuck's sake? _He thought to himself.

"Maybe your perception of true love is dulled, thief" the Queen spat at him with sarcasm, and Robin could not help but feel hot with annoyance.

He went on to explain why he was sure that the Prince was indeed in love with the girl and how he himself could not quite understand what he saw in her. He was in the middle of his explanation when a mere set of three words on her part hushed him completely, "She's crying Robin."

His name. It was so rare of her to use it that he was momentarily without action. He took a few steps and came to a halt right beside her, Robin placed a soft hand on the small of her back, feeling that undeniable spark once more.

She gasped and jumped away from him, and tried to conceal her blush, tried to be all business but she was too excited to hide her true colors. Her eyes sparkled with mean intent as she showed him that Snow was actually crying, that the girl was upset and miserable.

The Queen's happiness did not last for long, a moment later she noticed – and Robin kicked himself for not noticing it sooner – that the image shown to them was set in the night time, and, unless Snow White had been able to traverse to the other side of the world, the images shown were _not_ happening at that moment.

As it turned out, the images were actually from the night prior and the mirror claimed that he was not able to reach out for the Queen then because of _Robin_. He felt his hand close in a tight fist as the man in the mirror eyed him with contempt when he told the Queen that maybe their magical arrangement needed to be changed and certain restrictions removed.

"I'm sure that the Queen has very good reasons for such restrictions." The words flew from Robin's mouth before he could think them over.

He had placed himself in front of her and eyed the mirror with a murderous gaze as the daring fool risked asking the Queen to bend the rules for him once again. Robin was ready to throw a punch at the mirror, he was so angry at that sleazy git he could hardly think straight, if it weren't for the sudden presence of the Queen's hand on his shoulder, he would have broken the item into a million pieces.

Her touch had on many occasions soothed him and electrified his senses. But at this moment, something different was at play, Robin still felt as angry as ever, but he could also detect that it was not only his anger that made his blood pump faster in his veins.

_Regina was so sick, so tired of having people want to use her. _

That was definitely _her_, but how was _he_ able to hear _her_ voice inside _his_ head?

How on earth was he able to feel the anger that _she_ felt?

Before he knew it, she had managed to grasp the genie by the throat and squeezed out every last drop of information he had. Robin could not help but feel proud of her at some level, he did not know what had happened between her and that man, but from the looks of it the once genie obviously had an obsession to which she did not reciprocate, one she actually abhorred.

Once the genie was sent away in the most ungallant way, the Queen expressed her desire to send out a spy, for now she knew the very last location Snow White had been spotted at. But finding a infiltrator that fit her description would prove to be a very difficult task.

He offered his services, even though he knew he would make a very bad spy having been a wanted man for half of his life and the Queen's personal hangman for the last several months. But when she used this same reasoning to explain why he was no good for the job, Robin could not help but be smug.

"Oh! Does that mean that _you_ trust me?" he smirked at her but his humor did not last for long, for her eyes went wide and her face grew pale. He realized then he was treading in very delicate territory.

"I won't turn on you" he actually spoke the truth, he could not think in a single reason to betray her.

"You'd better not." Her demeanor turned ice cold, she was serious, dead serious.

"I won't" he tried to reassure her, "I give you my word." And even though his word was not worth much these days, still, he gave it to her and promised himself he would never break it.

The conversation was turned towards the problem of the perfect spy, which she quickly found a solution to. The Queen was going to disguise herself as a peasant and go, a mission that was very dangerous were she to be found out. But her magic did not seem to be working properly, for after the smoke cleared out, she still looked like the stunning Queen who rocked his world and his bed.

Unfortunately for them, the one person who could cast the bloody spell right was the imp Rumpelstiltskin, he appeared out of nowhere and offered his help as if it was a daily occurrence. Robin stared daggers back at the creature, remembering how he had sworn to kill him were he ever to see Robin again after the Oz fiasco. But the imp was not there to fight, he was there to bargain, and quickly made his price known, the whereabouts of the girl Robin had kidnapped several weeks ago.

_Belle_

Robin did not know what he was expecting the Queen to deliver but when she told the imp the story of how Belle died a slow death because of her association with Rumpelstiltskin, he had to admit he was impressed. She was even crueler than he had expected, she must truly loathe the imp.

He was surprised that the tale stuck and the imp looked devastated, but not devastated enough not to fulfill his end of the bargain.

The smoke engulfed the Queen's entire figure and when it cleared, the imp delivered meaningless parting words but gave Robin a wicked smile before he disappeared.

She had her back turned to him, but it wasn't _her_ anymore. He could see she was a tad fuller and a little shorter, her hair was also different, but Robin was far too intrigued about why she had made up such a cruel tale to tell the imp.

All questions regarding her reasoning disappeared in an instant from Robin's mind when the Queen turned around and he took a look at her 'new face'.

Robin hardly noticed that he almost tripped backwards as he felt the void inside his chest burn at the sight before his eyes. It was Marian, she was wearing Marian's features and for a moment Robin did not know if he wanted to scream or vomit. He did neither, he was petrified on the spot, horrified and speechless. Robin felt his face grow cold, as Regina, the Queen, Marian frowned and asked what was wrong. He had to be in some kind of nightmare, for it could not be, this was too cruel a joke to be played on him.

But there she was, standing in front of him as if death had not taken her. The imp had done a perfect job, she was the spitting image of his long gone wife as she moved over and looked at him with those big brown eyes he had once worshiped. He felt light headed and found that he could not look at her, the sight too disturbing. He turned away from her, maybe he was going mad, maybe this was all in his head.

What brought him back to reality was the Queen's speaking voice. It was clear as the day, it was not Marian's voice, but the Queen's, even though, when he looked up, it came out of Marian's lips. He blinked a few times and focused on the bizarre sight of her, it still looked like Marian, but sounded like the Queen, that alone was giving Robin a royal headache.

She turned towards the half-broken mirror to inspect herself, and Robin realized that her manner had not changed, the way she patted herself and worked the borrowed body betrayed her completely. She was the definition of a wolf in sheep's skin, it was still the Queen, not Marian.

_Marian was dead._

Still, when she turned back to face him, it felt as if he was being shot by flaming arrows in the eyeballs, he could hardly speak, "You still sound like you, not-"

She was dismissive and uncaring, definitely the Queen, not his Marian. She started to speak again and Robin was trying very hard to rail in all the very odd emotions he felt because of _this_. He tried to ignore his feelings, true, he was certain they were being dulled because of his lack of heart, but they were still very much painful even without it.

When she screamed in rage since the imp had taken away her magic, Robin went back to his normal senses, if only a little. The fog of the shock started to clear and he realized she would be venturing out completely unprotected, he could not have that.

"In answering your previous question-" she suddenly spoke again and brought him back to the here and now, "-I told that _imp_ that misfortunate tale because he deserved to _suffer_ for it."

"And he deemed that I should suffer as well," the words flowed out of his mouth before he could think, it was the truth after all. He then remembered the sly smile the creature had given him just before his departure, he had done this on purpose, since he had just heard the news about Belle being dead, he wanted someone else to feel his pain as well.

_Bastard_

She looked momentarily hurt because of his words, which was an absolutely haunting sight for Robin's eyes, "What is that supposed to mean?" she whispered dangerously. It was so odd having Marian's face and the Queen's manner and voice all in one, it made everything so confusing and sickening.

He managed to swallow everything down, all the hurt, the pain, the nausea and the inclination to jump out of the window and gave her, "Nothing your majesty."

She knew he was lying, he was damned, he had gotten in too deep with the woman.

She huffed and told him, "Grab my arm."

"What?" he was then genuinely puzzled, "Why?"

As much as Robin did not want to be anywhere near her as long as she wore his dead wife's face, he had to admit she had a point. The castle was the most well secured place he had ever encountered, it would not be safe for her to be wandering around with a stranger's face, Robin knew only too well what they did with trespassers.

But he was not pleased with the fact that he had to touch her of all things, when his hand made contact with her upper arm, the zapping sensation was still there, and all this was going to succeed in driving him completely mad. He still had some sense in his head to remember to drop by his rooms and fetch a small dagger he had, he left her outside, the less he saw of her the better, and continued the rest of the way to the stables without so much as a word or a glance towards her.

She wanted to take a horse, according to her, _her_ mare, so Robin led her to the stables. Their time there was, as per usual, not what Robin had expected, she still wore the face of the woman Robin loved most fiercely in his entire existence, but he seemed to be capable of reining his feelings in as the Queen explained how she had cursed a horse with a sleeping curse because she hated Snow White so much.

It was funny how the fact that she had done all that seemed completely normal to him, almost trivial really. But the words she used to talk about her husband lingered, "As all Kings take what does not belong to them because they _think_ they were born with that right." She had spat with so much despise. King Leopold was actually quite lucky to be dead, Robin could make death last _forever_ if he wanted to.

He was rather impressed by the change in her manner when she approached her mare, a softer version of the woman he had come to know. The animal could sense that it was still _her_, even in the skin of Robin's deceased wife.

He decided then to give her the small weapon he had taken from his rooms and to his absolute surprise, she looked quite stunned that he offered her such a thing. He had been waiting for at least one rude remark about her being perfectly capable of taking care of herself but it never came. Her reaction hit him badly, given her current use of face, for she looked surprised and blushed only a bit. She gave him a small, "Thank you" which made him think she might be possessed and turned her back on him before he could process what had just happened.

She prepped her mare for the ride all by herself, which also surprised Robin, after all, she was a Queen, and a lady of noble birth before that, he knew full well there had always been a stable boy to do that kind of handy work for her, even if she did enjoy the riding.

"How on earth do you know how to do all that?" he could not help but ask as she finished up.

She got on the horse and led it outside the stall. She made her way towards the sunny entrance, the light was strong in his eyes but he could still see her, the outline of her on that mare, riding away. Everything was bearable, everything was under control until she turned her face towards him, Marian's face, with a sly smile Marian had never worn, and told him, "I told you I did not want to be a Queen." To finish up, she winked at him and then rode away, fast and certain, leaving Robin behind with the feeling that his heart had turned to ash.

…

He had been able to control himself, he had succeeded in not showing how hurt he truly felt about the horrendous thing before his eyes. But the image of her, riding out, hair loose, smile on her lips and a wink to top it all off, had been too much.

Before she disappeared about the trees, Robin dropped to his knees, the wretched sound of his sobbing enough to agitate the horses near him, but he didn't care. He had lost control over the overwhelming feeling of wanting to grab her, strangle her, kiss her and weep all at the same time.

He did not want to lose his head like this, but a sting in his chest accompanied every breath he took, and hot tears trailed down his face. He felt like he was crying for all those blissful days he had not wept for the death of his wife, all those days without his heart. Even now, even in its absence, he felt it hammering, wherever it was, it pulsated with guilt and hate.

_Seeing her like that had been-_

He did not even want to think about it, he did not want to remember it, he wanted the whole thing wiped from his memory so he could live on his damned life numb again-

_Well, you have not been numb for a while_, a voice inside his head reasoned.

That was true, Robin could not recall when, but along the way, he had been feeling more and more each day. But the truth of the matter was that the main source of guilt and pain he had – Marian's death – had not been able to touch him, he had been far too engrossed in-

_Her_

_She did this to him._

Robin punched the floor as the tears continued to flow. Numbness was what he needed, that still feeling as if you were not living or dead, for that time you just _were_. But how does one get more numb than by having his own living and beating heart being yanked out of his chest?

He could kill; Robin knew that in killing, that feeling would surface, it would give him some momentary solace. But a much easier and less messy way of getting himself out of that hole presented itself when one of the horses huffed loudly enough for Robin to turn his gaze towards it.

There it was, on a high shelf, just inside an empty stall, three bottles of something that looked like it could warm up a man during the entire winter. Robin took a deep breath and managed to get to his feet, his head was throbbing but he did not let that get in the way. There was obviously a padlock on the swinging five feet door but that was but a mere obstacle.

He managed to jump the door, too lazy to pick the lock, he did not know if his abilities of climbing had been increased by his desperation for the amber liquid or if he had always been so agile. Of course he was, he was _Robin Hood_-

_No, he was not, Robin Hood was dead._

He took all three bottles just for good measure, but given his state, he would probably empty them all in record time. The idea of getting back to his rooms to fetch his bow and arrow so he could relieve some tension was quickly discarded when he spotted a nicely sized dirk hidden under some straw in the same stall.

Robin headed out of the stables and into the forest with three bottles in hand and a new dirk on his belt, he felt sorry for anyone who happened by him that afternoon. For now, he responded to no one, not even the Queen.

He drank in large gulps, hardly even getting to taste the foul liquid he was ingesting. Taste was not the point, the point was to forget, and forget he would. After the first bottle was drained, Robin could almost see Rumpelstiltskin's ugly face on the tree trunk he was lashing with the dirk he had found. The hits were not as firm as they could have been, but Robin found he did not care, he aimed mostly for the middle, for he wanted to gut that imp for pulling up that ridiculous trickery.

_To have the woman who turned his world inside out disguised as his dead wife_, that imp was truly _twisted_. Robin wanted nothing more than to have that creature before him so he could-

He took a swing from the second bottle and hissed at the sting it caused in his throat, he was surprised it had not been numbed by the first bottle, he thought he'd be half dulled by now but the liquid went down like fire. Robin focused his eyes back on the tree trunk, ready to give the make-believe imp another swing in the guts when he realized his mind had conjured the image of the Queen before him.

He knew she wasn't there, the image before him was all pampered up and dressed to the nines, when he knew she was somewhere else wearing a different face. Still, she smirked at him but said nothing, Robin had half a mind to stab her for making him suffer like this, but something, a voice deep inside his head stopped him on his tracks.

_Did she even know? _A soft female voice asked.

He had not even considered that, _of course she did not know, how _could_ she know? _

_If she did know, she would have used it to torment him, of course,_ something dark in his mind reasoned.

_Would she?_ The female voice spoke again.

"Would she?" He found himself asking aloud.

He took another large gulp of the almost acid amber liquid and focused his eyes back on the lithe figure of the make-believe Queen standing before him. A shameful tear trailed down the side of his eye without his permission as Robin stared at her, all regal, all business, ruthless and cold.

"Would ye?" he asked the figure, his voice weak and wobbly from the strong alcohol.

She laughed and Robin lifted the dirk, a sudden wave of nausea mixed with anger washed over him. He was as prepared as he could have been – drunk as he was – to stab her right in the heart, when she suddenly stopped laughing, her face shifted and even though it was still her, it was somehow different, less porcelain, more human.

He dropped the dirk when he saw her eyes were red, filled with unshed tears and he had to blink a few times to make sure the illusion before him was quite right.

"No, Robin, I would have not" she spoke, her voice was neutral, did not carry any of the usual arrogance, "For I have lost love once too."

That had been it. One moment, he was standing before a mangled tree with a bottle in hand, the next he was passing out, dropping unceremoniously on the ground feeling his chest buzz with an only too familiar sensation.

…

_He is standing by the carriage, the villagers are all lined up as the Queen makes her threats, Robin takes very little notice in their terrified faces, he is used to this by now._

_She speaks with venom and hate, lets the villagers know that she's not there to play nor does she bluff, "-if I find out anyone in this village, has helped the bandit Snow White-" she looks at each and every one of them dead in the eye as if knowing what secrets they hide, "-they will suffer dearly." _

_She turns around and heads towards two black knights who have a person held captive. He can tell it is a woman, but she has a sack over her head. Another traitor, another person who chose the wrong side of the royal field. This one would suffer, he imagines, if she's to be made an example of, she would._

"_Here's what helping Snow White looks like-" the Queen gestures for him to remove the hood, and Robin does so-_

"_Help me!" she screams in his face._

_Marian_

"_She's going to kill me!" she cries out and Robin is petrified on the spot, his heart clenching at his chest._

_She fights against her captors, screaming and crying, and Robin can do nothing but stare at her, while he can hear the Queen laugh at the desperation._

_She finally looks at Robin then, her eyes filled with tears, her face red and her brow creasing, she half whispers, "Please"_

"_Who wants to be next?" the Queen's voice breaks through._

_Robin has gained back his ability to move and speak, "No!" his voice is loud and clear._

"_Is there a problem?" the Queen asks, her voice betraying that she is trying to control her rage._

_He turns around to face her but when he does, it is not the Queen anymore, the clothes remain the same, the sneer on her lips intact, but those lips belong to another, Marian. Marian stood there, wearing the Evil Queen's clothes as well as her contempt._

_The scenery around him changes to an indoor bedchamber as Robin turns around to find that the woman held captive is now Regina, not the Queen, but __**Regina**__. Two black knights hold her by the upper arms and she looks so different, so young, her hair is loose and there is little paint on her face, she wears a light blue nightgown and Robin is once again frozen on the spot._

"_Here she is your majesty-" one of the guards says._

"_Thank you Hackman-" the voice of a man way past his prime responds, "-I'll take it from here." _

_The men let go of the very frightened looking Regina and leave, that is when Robin sees __**him**__. He is coming from behind her and Robin can feel Regina get tenser by the second as the slimy King approaches._

"_Must you run from me wife?" he reaches his destination and Robin can see a single tear run down her cheek. "Do you not know-" he places his old hand on her barely covered shoulder and takes some of her hair in his palm, bringing it to his face and taking a loud sniff, "-that it is your duty as Queen to please me?"_

_Robin is bursting with rage and somehow recuperates his movements making a move to attack the King, at this point, he is willing to chew the bastard's head off. But he's held back, a strong grip in his hand does not allow him to take his feet out off the ground. _

"_Robin what are you doing?" it is Marian's voice._

_He spins around and there she is, she holds his hand fiercely and pleads sweetly, "Robin, please come back to me."_

_He's so confused he thinks he's going to pass out._

_He hears Regina scream from the other side and immediately turns around, not listening to Marian's continuous pleas. But when his eyes reach the spot where Regina had been, Robin only finds the King standing there with an evil smile on his lips and clutching light blue fabric in one of his hands, her nightgown._

"_No!" Robin fights against the strong clutch of Marian's hand as he screams, "Regina!"_

"_She's gone!" another voice sounds from behind him, mocking and impish, the fingers that hold his hand no longer soft but scale-ish and slimy. Robin turns around once more to find Rumpelstiltskin clutching his hand, "You can't save her-" he tells Robin, "-not even being who you are to her-" the imp's gaze comes down to stare at Robin's wrist, where he can see the lion tattoo he got too many years ago. _

_Robin is able to break free from the contact, but the imp continues to speak, "You can't help her-" he giggles and Robin wants to punch him, "Better listen to your wife!"_

_He almost gets sick as the image of Rumpelstiltskin turns into Marian once more and she takes a step towards him, asking him once more, "Please Robin, come home to me."_

_Robin is at loss, he does not know what to think or what to do. As if on cue, Regina's voice calls out to him from over his shoulder._

"_I, I can't-" he stutters through his words, he does not know what he is doing but his heart, that damned thing that should be inside a box and yet he feels it beat fiercely inside his chest, tells him to turn around and follow Regina's voice until he finds her, "I'm sorry-" he tells Marian, "I have-"_

_Her face hardens, and she cuts him, "You are not my Robin anymore" she spits at him, her face contorted with hate, "__**She**__ made you into a monster."_

"_That's where you are wrong dear," the Queen comes from behind him, she is not a scared mouse anymore but the strong woman he knows, she towers over Marian and gives her, "__**You**__ made him into a monster." _

…

Robin opened his eyes to the sight of two small eyes and a long muzzle staring back at him. He was confused at first, too dizzy to be startled by the animal sitting on his lap. Robin was sitting on the forest floor, his back to the tree he had been slashing, he felt a strange coldness over his head, as if something chilly was in contact only with the very top of his head. He looked up to find quite the disturbing view, a dark cloud above his head, not a normal cloud but something he knew was laced with magic.

He could also tell, feel it in his gut, that the dark cloud was nowhere near being a friendly phenomenon.

_Go away_, he thought for his tongue and throat were not in fit stage to form words.

The very moment the words crossed his mind, the fox, that had been simply sitting and staring, leapt forward and its paws were on Robin's head the next second. He was surprised to register that he did not feel the weight on his head – _was he _that_ drunk?_ He looked up to find the fox almost flying its way up the tree trunk, with an agility and grace he found unnatural for the animal to perform in such circumstances, them being the vertical position. It was then that Robin actually realized that that was no ordinary animal, for it did not bear the earthy tones on its fur, but grey and silver, as if it was a ghost.

His vision blurred when the fox jumped at the dark cloud and disappeared, then all he could see was black.

…

Robin remembered only flashes of what happened to him after he saw the ghost fox apparition when he woke up in his bed the next day.

_He knew he had passed out after the animal made a lunge for the cloud, but his senses were had not been completely blacked out. Even though all he saw was black, he could feel a strong presence beside him, he could hear a horse's paws hit the leaf filled ground, and swore he could hear a feminine voice cursing under her breath. _

_The coldness of the black cloud was gone._

_Everything was in a haze, but Robin could remember with clarity the moment when a warm palm rested upon his chest, on the left side, where his heart should have been, the touch warmed him with a delightful buzz – he had not realized that he had been cold until that moment._

_The cursing had continued, it had been a woman, a rather foul-mouthed woman who had been there with him, and she had apparently brought him back to the castle. _

He tried to open his eyes only to close them once more, the light coming from the window nearly blinding him. Robin was becoming more and more aware of his body and of the head-splitting ache that had taken up residence in the middle of his forehead. His skin felt tingly and weird, Robin took a tentative sniff to his left armpit to find – to his utter surprise – that the smell was not revolting nor did it knock him back into oblivion, he smelled like soap.

He opened his eyes then, regardless of the clarity, and looked under the covers to find that he was wearing nothing more than a knee-length sleeping shirt that did not belong to him. He looked around the room and yes, he was still in the castle, inside his usual rooms, then why on earth was he not wearing his own clothes and most importantly, who in hell _bathed_ him?

Robin turned to the side only too swiftly, earning himself a nice hit of pain that made him see black spots. When his eyes focused again, and the pain subsided, he could see there was an oddly shaped vial resting on top of his bedside table. The sight of it jogged his memory back and he could hear her words as if she was there with him.

"_Drink it, you drunken baboon!" as she forced the vial against his lips._

_He had parted his chalky lips, groaning at her lack of delicacy. He remembered seeing her from below, he had been too dizzy, too sick to remember anything too well._

"_Not my fault that you got so pissed drunk…" he had caught her saying after he had swallowed the foul tasting liquid._

_His eyes had been half-open, she must have thought he was out, because she had looked down at him with a look of pity he had never seen. _

_Had she been cradling his head on her lap?_

"_It actually was, wasn't it?" she gave a small humorless laugh and traced her fingers lightly across his cheek, "I'm sorry" she had licked her lips in embarrassment and Robin had tried to say something. She had looked startled and left, that had been-_

"Two days ago, sir." A man, Mr. Butler was his name, had entered the room to check on him and Robin had immediately asked when he was brought back to his chambers, "The Queen herself called upon me to care for you sir." Robin had scrunched his face at that, which had earned him yet another jet of pain, "She had been-" he cleared his throat, "-indisposed."

Butler, Robin had seen him around, he had been one of the few valets who had remained in the castle, most of valets and personal maids had left along with the nobles all those months ago, but not Mr. Butler. He was of average height, had to be past his fifties and had very little hair left on the top of his head, and yet, he had a cheery smile Robin was surprisingly able to endure. He spoke with a strong accent, which told Robin he had not been born in this kingdom, maybe somewhere near where that Belle character came from.

"So-" Robin had sat down on the bed, "-you bathed me?"

"I'm afraid so sir" he said with a tone of normalcy, "The Queen gave the impression that she did not want dirt and vomit on the sheets." He added.

"Isn't _the Queen_ the thoughtful one?" Robin gave sarcastically, feeling his head ache more when he thought of that maddening woman.

"She is-" Mr. Butler tried, "Quite unique"

"Has she-?" Robin found he was in desperate need of water and took a large gulp from the glass on his nightstand before continued, "Has she been here?"

"No, sir." Mr. Butler told him with certainty, "Only me, to change your chamber pot and bring water"

"But-" Robin thought back on his memory, she had been there, but he decided to change the subject, "What exactly did I drink that day? Do you know?"

"I do, sir-" he looked down, "Quite an unfortunate thing to fall on your hands."

"What was it?"

"It was a mixture of aged brandy and horse urine-" Mr. Butler told him reluctantly, "They usually pour it in the horse's water to calm them down."

Robin had always prided himself in having a strong stomach, it was rare the thing that would make him sick, or the sight that would turn his insides upside down. He had killed more people than he cared to account for, kidnaped and beat up quite the amount of unfortunate souls. But Robin had just discovered that he did not have _that_ much of a stomach, so he vomited right on the precious sheets the Queen had been so concerned about.

…

Robin had to stay put for another day before he was able to stand for long periods of time, apparently, the drink he had drowned himself with was used when the horses needed some kind of treatment and were uncooperative, a good dosage mixed with their water would make the animal go to sleep for several hours. And Robin had drank the sodding thing pure, the mere thought of it, even three days after, still made him queasy.

When he was finally able to fare for himself, he dismissed Mr. Butler, who had been rather pleasant company if Robin was being honest. The man did not seem to fear him at the very least but was not nosy or arrogant about it, but respectful and rather witty at times. Robin found out later that Butler had served in the Ogre Wars and had been offered a place in the royal guard for his great service in it, but chose to turn the offer down for a more quiet type of life. So apart from having cleaned all of his clothes, the man also saw to it that Robin's weapons were sharp and ready. Plus, talking a little to the old bag and having him around had been rather good for Robin, that way he could distract himself from the feelings he had been trying to run away from when he had ingested horse pee.

The Queen had not come, he did not think that she would. Although, the memory of her being there the first night was rather vivid, but it could have been a dream since Mr. B had said-

_No matter_, he wouldn't want to see her anyway, he frankly did not know what to say to her or what kind of reaction he would have to seeing her after everything that had happened.

…

Robin was on his feet the next day, and it did not take long for him to be informed that the Queen had decided to catch Snow White the old-fashioned way, as if the girl was a wild beast. The Queen would be taking a few dozen men with her for a long hunt that was only to end when she had captured her former step daughter. She had made it very clear that they were only to return to the castle when their hunt was concluded _and_ successful.

He was just being filled in by one of the captains about the arrangements that needed to be done when a tall messenger boy told Robin his presence was required in the throne room, by the Queen.

Robin had excused himself, he was beginning to learn how to coexist with the men of her Majesty's castle, it was hard – he had been fighting men like this all his life – but something he was getting accustomed to.

Upon pushing the doors of the throne room open, Robin found the throne itself empty. He entered nevertheless and his eyes came to rest on a round, out of place table – set to the right side of the room – when a noise came from its direction.

She was there, looking at him with wide eyes, she had dropped some manner of scroll that rolled over the table to find its final rest on the floor, which seemed to be the only noise in the room.

His eyes went from the scroll back to hers, her stare was expectant, for a moment, neither of them moved or spoke. She wore a rather simple cut blue velvet dress and her hair was all pinned above her head in a tight neat bun, she looked more strict and cold than ever.

Robin was not sure, for there were several paces in between them, but he could have sworn her cheeks started to gain a slight blush and her lips formed a thin red line. She suddenly looked away from him, at something on the table, seeming to want to hide her disposition, the doors behind him banged closed with magic.

"You summoned me?" Robin asked but made no attempts to go to her.

Her head shot up from the scrolls but she did not look directly at him, "Yes!" her voice was rather high as she seemed to break out of her spell, "I did-" she lowered her tone, "I assume you are fit for duty again?"

"Yes, I am your majesty." His answer was direct and dry.

"Good." She gave him while lifting her hands from the table and closing them in fists for a moment.

_Was she, nervous?_

"I believe you have already been made aware of the hunt?" she asked, her words held very little feeling.

_That was way too formal, there was definitely something wrong with her._ Well _more_ wrong, there was always something amiss with that woman.

"I have just been informed" he gave her, he felt strange around he. There was a significant physical distance between them he did not seem inclined to get rid of.

She took a deep breath and raised both her eyebrows, "Would you _care_ to approach so we can discuss it further?"

Robin was a little taken aback by that and opened his mouth to retort but closed it almost right after. With his hands clasped on his back, he cleared his throat and went to stand in front of her, a round table filled with papers in between them.

She was looking at him differently, it wasn't the usual contempt or the pretend indifference he  
was so accustomed to. She was tense, her eyes were a little bit glassy, and her body language odd, she kept clutching and unclutching her left hand, and had moistened her lips with her tongue at least four times ever since he had arrived.

"Right-" she broke the ridiculous silence between them, "As the captain of my personal guard, I'm giving you the reins in the hunt, you will, first and foremost, supply me with a list of men you deem appropriate for the company so I can analyze it." She was all business, she spoke with firmness and certainty, Robin merely nodded.

The next half hour passed just the same, her instructing him in what to do and Robin giving her small gestures of acknowledgement, he had remained standing by the table while she had also scarcely moved, only taking a few shy steps to look at a paper or two scattered about the table.

This was, _weird_. Intense in the worst way possible, especially since he could still feel their powerful connection, even with five feet of table in between them. There was no banter, no double meaning phrases, no sly smirk or flirting of any kind between them. There was however, no lack of respect, she spoke clearly but without much passion, explained how she wanted things done but her voice had lost its bite, it was almost as if she was trying to hide from him, but not really.

Robin himself was feeling rather battered, not tired per say, he had rested for far too long, but weary. The terrible shock of _seeing_ her and having to interact _with_ her in Marian's skin had been bad enough, added to the disturbing dream he had had in the forest, _and_ the fact that he had drank so much piss he had been in bed for two whole days, it was too much for one to handle.

And so, days, and eventually two weeks of preparation went by. Robin was taking with him thirty hand-picked men he knew were of good skill and of mild trust – he trusted no one after all. He had met with the Queen almost every other day to discuss their routes and plans but in those meetings she had been just as distant as the first one, very direct in what she wanted, leaving no room to anything other than the task at hand.

Robin had mixed feelings about this, although the whole process had eaten up most of his time, still, when he laid his head on the pillow late at night, she was all he could think about, and Robin could not wrap his head around why she was acting that way. In the first few days, he did actually appreciate the space her coldness had given him, he was able to process everything that had happened in those intense 48 hours. Her opening up to him, sleeping together, having the fright of his life seeing Marian alive and breathing again, the odd dream and waking up to a ghost fox and dark smoke over his head, and then there was that memory of her in his rooms when he was far too drunk to tell if it was a dream or not.

Mister B. said she had not been there but Robin knew better, the vial was there, at his bedside table, how could she not have been there? She had apologized, he remembered in the blurry haze of the memory that she had looked upset, truly hurt by what she had caused him.

But now, she did not amuse herself in calling him thief or outlaw, his given name was a distant memory in her voice. Now he was known to her lips as Locksley and was only called on official business. They had not shared a touch, a kiss, a heated look in weeks, she had not twitched her devious lips or provoked him, he had not been able to feel that charging energy their bodies produced as one ever since that fateful morning. He had not been able to laugh at her dark humor or find out more about the mysterious Regina.

This was not like the last time she had backed away from him, last time he was not so involved, last time he did not even know half of what he knew now, did not feel half of what he felt now. Last time she had maintained her disposition, she had continued to call him names and scorn him, now all he got were scraps of well given orders, without a touch of sentiment.

Having her presence haunt his almost every day and yet, have her be so unreachable, made Robin feel something he had not felt in a long time. When he had lost his wife and walked away from his Merry Men, he had buried his past with Marian and the baby; he had mourned his life as an honest bandit and loving husband but had not _missed_ it, for he was no longer that man.

_Robin Hood was dead._

But Robin of Locksley, the thief, the outlaw, was not dead, and neither was the insane Queen that had turned his world upside down and brought color back to his world.

And Robin found himself missing _her_, he missed _Regina_.

…

**Penny for your thoughts!**


	21. Salted Wound pt 2

The company left the castle on a chilly, grey day. The time for spring was coming to an end, and the Queen could not have picked a better season to hunt down her prey. Winters were merciless in the Enchanted Forest, lakes would freeze down, preventing the girl from getting easy access to water, and wild animals would occupy every vacant cave, making it impossible for her to hide in the woods. And the snowstorms – how funny that her name should be _Snow_ – were infamous for taking no prisoners.

With the weather on their side, it would be easy to track the damned girl down, given they had a lead, which they did not. The mirror had given the very last piece of useful information on that fateful day everything went wrong. Ever since then, the former genie had been of very little help and the scouts had been nearly useless.

_How did that blasted girl hide so well?_ Robin could not help but wonder, he figured someone was aiding her, someone powerful.

_But who?_

They had very little choice but to start from the village the Queen had visited in disguise, even though they knew Snow White most likely was nowhere near that old woman's house anymore. But the Queen had _insisted_ they started there, stating she wanted to set out a message to her people, and _that_ village was the perfect place to do it. She was confident that after she spoke to them, some might be more forthcoming with information.

She had not brought her mare along with her – which Robin found odd – but instead, chose to ride isolated inside her dark carriage. Robin was once more riding the steed Angus, but now he was able to see the amazing effect the animal's dark hair had under the Sun, turning dark blue for a few seconds when the light hit him a certain way.

They arrived in town after a couple of hours, thirty men in light armor – aside from Robin obviously, he had never agreed to wearing anything of the sort, he wore simple, easy-to-move-in clothes – armed to their teeth on horseback, plus a luxurious black carriage.

The people around the city center made way for the entourage but seemed more curious about the whole thing than actually scared, as Robin would have thought they would be. If he was being completely honest, the scene itself looked strangely familiar now that the soldiers told the villagers loudly to line up for the Queen. The peasants who happened to be about the street – quite many people actually – were smart enough to do as they were told, whilst murmuring and whispering to each other. People watched from their balconies and windows, children grabbed their mother's skirts, all of them looking at the carriage with expectation.

The air got heavier the moment the carriage's door finally opened.

When she placed her feet onto the muddy ground, all manner of sound ceased, all eyes were on her, wide and questioning as she climbed off her carriage and looked about. She was regal as always, wore tight, black leather pants and boots, a flaming red, velvet coat, and an oval shaped hat with a silly feather on top of it – Robin was no big fan of her hats. She looked determined and stern as she perused the people with an air of superiority, each of them bowing their heads respectfully as she turned their way.

But Robin could also sense small things that went by unnoticed by the rest of the audience that told a completely different story. Her gloved hands were clenching and unclenching, and there was a small evidence of perspiration on her temple, which was odd since those were the very first days of winter, plus the vein on her forehead was popping out a little. She was tense but was adamant in not showing it.

That moment was when Robin realized this was probably the very first time she spoke openly to her people after her husband's death. She was not in his shadow anymore; _she_ was the one who held the power. Robin's eyes found hers for a split second and he suddenly felt the importance of this moment weight down on his shoulders. This first contact was crucial, she would show those people what kind of ruler she was, what kind of Queen they had, and given her explosive behavior, Robin feared this might end in disaster.

"Listen to me very carefully-" she finally spoke loudly, addressing to the crowd. The guards stood straight while some of the villagers looked in awe at her and others hid in fear at her tone.

"Your beloved _King_ was _murdered_."

There was a general gasp. Robin could tell now how she uttered the word 'King' with a hint of despise, and how she rolled out the word 'murdered' as if she enjoyed it. The nuances were very subtle, he imagined no villager could pick pit up but as for himself, Robin was willing to bet an arm and a leg that she had done her husband in.

"His killer walks among you, hidden behind an innocent smile of a Princess." There was a slight murmur amongst the people; Robin could see the smallest of smiles on the corner of her lips.

"Yes!" she confirmed whilst widening her eyes, "Snow White was the one to kill _my_ husband, and now that she has been found out, she has disappeared." she let the information sink in, Robin found she was actually doing rather well, she had kept her cool but was firm and incisive.

"That is why I need you." She pointed at a baffled looking young man, "And you-" she pointed at an older woman standing just behind him, "All of you-" she turned around so she could face the other side, "-to find her and avenge the death of your King by turning her in, so she can answer for her crimes." She spoke with grandness.

"There will be a prize in gold for any valuable information given to the crown about the whereabouts of Snow White." She gestured with her hand and everyone looked up, soldiers and peasants alike. What they saw stole gasps from all.

"Gold! It's gold!" a woman with a strong accent standing nearby Robin whispered to her little boy as she pointed towards the sky.

Indeed, the Queen had conjured some manner of spell that made golden coins shower from the treetops.

People seemed to forget for a little while what had been happening and who was standing in front of them, and started to jump in order to try and catch the gold midair. But it was nothing but magic, and the illusion disappeared before it reached the tops of their heads.

Nevertheless, the sight was rather dazzling and for a moment even Robin was lost in the strange look of the shimmery coins – he could not see the golden color itself, only the sparkle it created – spinning in the air, falling from the sky. The atmosphere got lighter; the people seemed to have relaxed a little in the Queen's presence, as they looked up, mesmerized at what they saw.

Robin took a deep breath, feeling a strange sensation of peace. His eyes landed on the sight of _her_ amidst of all the shimmering magic and he felt his chest tug.

Her brown orbs sparkled as she looked up at her own creation, a small smile played on her lips, her face relaxed, a little life had returned to her features, her cheeks were a little bit more tainted, her hands were no longer in fists, and the vein on her forehead was nowhere to be seen.

He did miss her, _that_ woman right there, the one with wonder in her eyes, not the ice cold Queen with revenge as her goal. The moment, however, was broken when their eyes met and she gasped.

Suddenly, the golden coins gained another color, a strange type of red that made the shower of coins illusion look more like a shower of wee fireballs. The people gasped in horror, some even screamed, parents lifting their children from the ground in order to shield them, but the fiery coins, just like the golden ones, did not touch them.

She was no longer looking at him, but at the people, her expression had shifted, it was contorted with hatred and coldness, her words rang merciless. "However-" with that one word she was able to quiet all the noise, "-if I find out _anyone_ in this village, has helped the bandit Snow White-" she looked about the now terrified looking people, "-they will suffer dearly."

The words that reached his ears made Robin sick. The memory of the horrid dream kicked in, she had said those exact same words, had worn that same red coat, in that very same place. Now that everything went back to him, he could barely watch the scene unfolding before his eyes. He could almost see Marian tied up again, screaming for help and he did not-

"This is what helping Snow White looks like." She said simply, a perfect copy of his dream.

Instead of going to a prisoner he knew they did not possess, she extended both her arms forward and two magical chains flew from her palms towards the horrified crowd. They made a terrible noise whilst zipping by the peasants until they found their target, who was out of his eyeshot. Robin heard the sound of the merciless things encircling someone as the people went quiet.

The peasants around the victim quickly put as much distance in between them and her as possible, in fear that the magical chains might scorch them.

Now that a large circle had been created around the chains' prey, Robin could see who it was.

The old woman, _Granny_, the chains bound her tight, had gone around her timeworn body a few times, trapping her arms to her side. He had to admit she was either bat shit crazy or very brave to have lingered after the Queen's undercover visit, but more so for lingering _now_. The old bag did not fight her chains but stared daggers back at the Queen, her chin held high, defiance danced inside her eyes. The Queen did not seem impressed by this little show of courage and raised one eyebrow whilst she closed her extended fist. The small movement on the Queen's part made the old woman's body levitate only a hair from the ground; she then turned her fisted hand so her wrist faced up and closed her fingers tighter making the chains around her victim tighten as well, crushing the old woman's body. Granny then moaned in pain and squeezed her eyes closed.

The Queen had a wee smile on her lips at the sight, she let her fingers relax after a few moments, they moved as if to tell the chains to come to her, and Granny started to gravitate towards her – her feet still dragged on the earthy ground – until she was a couple of feet away from the revenge seeking monarch.

The old woman opened her eyes, they were bloodshot and filled with revulsion, "Ye won't win" the woman had the audacity to spit at the Queen's face.

The Queen huffed out and laugh and took a few steps towards the old bag, she leaned forward so she was nose to nose with the defying woman and whispered in between her teeth, "Wanna bet?"

She did not wait for a reply and quickly brought a hand to the woman's neck and squeezed with force.

Robin understood now why she had insisted upon coming to this _particular_ village. She was going to make an example out of that old woman, for she was an ally of Snow White's and what better way to show her people what would happen to anyone who helped the girl than by a small demonstration?

She was choking the air out of the old bag whilst her audience watched in horror. Robin noted, with some curiosity, how she was using actual physical force as opposed to the usual magical grip that usually took its victim rather quickly. The Queen's murderous but empty eyes fixed on the fierce blue ones belonging to her victim told him she wanted this to last longer, or that _maybe_ she was not quite sure about-

All of a sudden, a strong flash of blue light took everyone by surprise, blinding all of them for a few seconds. When it was gone, the fireball-like rain had stopped mid-air, the coins now frozen and no longer red, but a tone of turquoise. The Queen did not have her grip on the old woman's throat anymore, her intended victim was now standing a few feet away from her and her chains were gone.

"Beware of the evil one-" a voice came out of the old woman's mouth but Robin was sure it was not her own. It was loud, young and imposing and took most by surprise, but apparently, not the Queen, "For even if she wears a crown and makes promises of riches, she _lies_." The word 'lies' was dragged out by the sweet female voice that seemed to be coming out from the woman's mouth and every other direction, "Snow White is an innocent. The one who points the finger, the real sinner." The people around started to murmur amongst each other, their eyes held something new in their depths, _suspicion_.

"Silence!" the Queen bellowed and the place went quiet again.

Her eyes held pure ire as she looked at the old woman who stood tall before her with a placid expression. Robin was afraid the Queen was going to burst into flame. Instead, she put her palm up and conjured a ball of fire that drew a general gasp from her audience, "Come to the flame then _moth_!" She held the fire out, stretching her hand towards the woman in front of her, "Or are you too scared to face me in person? Are you going to keep on hiding behind that wolf's skin?"

Her tone had changed completely, there, before his eyes, Robin saw the vengeful Queen who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted, with a touch of insanity and a lot of rage, the Queen moved by blood red feelings was back.

"I do not fear you, your majesty," the voice spoke again in a defying tone, which only helped to fuel more of that mad glint that shone inside the Queen's darkened brown eyes.

"But you should-" the Queen opened up an evil smile and continued, "-because I know of what you did to Rapunzel and I'm going to make it my _business_ to learn why."

At that moment, the calm expression on the older woman's face dropped and she looked downright shocked, "What have you done?"

"I-" the Queen screamed at her, looking quite insane, Robin knew she was furious, from her outburst and because he could feel her ire burn inside him, it almost made him want to scream as well, "I ENDED HER MISERY!" she yelled, losing all of her royal composure. She took in a deep breath and straightening up her spine, "Which is exactly what I'm going to do with this old werewolf puppy of yours-"

She waved the hand that held the fire around until a small twister of flames was created. With a swift movement of her working arm, the Queen set the flaming thing towards the woman, who stood immobile.

Everything happened in a manner of seconds. There was a high-pitched shriek that came from every direction, and before the fire reached the old woman, she simply disappeared, leaving behind only blue dust.

The blue coins, that had hung midair, were gone the moment the older woman disappeared, and the Queen was _furious_.

Robin was pretty sure half of the peasants had already wet their pants only from watching this dispute, some of them might have fainted. If he was being completely honest, he was not sure if even the breeches worn by his soldiers had not come out of this completely undamaged.

The point was, people had cowered again, in fear of the flames, the chains, the destructive magic, but even more, of the Queen's wicked smile and unstable disposition. Robin knew that after _that_, it was going to take a lot more than gold to make those people talk.

…

A week had passed and not much in their search had changed. Robin learned later that the blue magic had been created by the Blue Fairy, and _she_ had been the one facing the Queen through the old woman's body. That 'blue intervention' had been very bad for business indeed, for word of what had happened quickly spread out about the kingdom. There were very little people who had stepped forward with information – that most of the time would prove to be completely useless – most peasants were too scared to leave their houses to even try, fearing the Queen's wrath.

During this week, Robin had seen the Queen's patience wear thin, with every 'no' she heard, with every quiet but defying look she got, with the feeling of mistrust she received from all her subjects, she had gone from generous to demanding. She had not gone to him, they had spoken only a few times about very technical things but still, she would barely look him in the eye, would not dare and touch him, and Robin could not swallow it any longer. But he did not want to force his presence upon her, for some strange reason, he knew that if he did, it would only makes things worse, widen even more the abyss in between them.

Therefore, he did his job, and nothing else.

They always camped, although, most men would choose to sleep in the nearest village, the Queen always insisted on making camp, building up a spacious tent with her magic and secluding herself inside it, only to emerge in the morning.

Robin did not like the idea of camping not even one bit, it reminded him far too much of his time with his Merry Men and those memories needed to stay locked away. He always chose to find a place to rest a certain distance from the camp, he could still see the lights, but could not hear the animated chatter, it was better off that way. He needed very little – although that goose feather pillow had spoiled him a bit – only the sky as his roof and the earth as his bed, and his dirk in reach just in case.

This night, Robin woke up with a start, feeling a sharp pain in his chest so intense it made him cry out. He placed a hand on the aching area, where his heart should have been, and felt the throbbing diminish little by little, it did not, however, disappear completely. When he was able to take a breath without feeling needles perforating his chest, Robin realized it was still the middle of the night, the fire by the camp was extinguished and he could not hear any movement coming from it, all dead asleep most probably.

The night was quiet and he should probably just get back to sleep, but something was amiss. His senses picked up the noise of shuffling leaves, his head told him it was probably some stray animal, but Robin knew there was something else lurking about. His hand went ever so slowly to the hilt of his dirk as the noise continued, he was laying down but his eyes were perusing everything they could reach, and yet he saw nothing out of ordinary.

His blood was cold as he waited for something to happen, for this stranger to strike, the scuffling noise continued, he could tell something was getting closer by the second. He took a deep breath, tightening his hold on the dirk's handle and-

_Robin- _

He knew who was out there, he could have sworn he heard her say his name, he could _feel_ her, if he tried hard enough, even smell her bittersweet perfume. The undeniable buzz made him shiver and get up from his coot, he stood there, dirk in hand, looking about and seeing nothing. He began to fear this was a very well designed trap.

The intensity of the buzz started to grow, he looked about and all he could see were darkened trees and bushes and yet, he knew she was _there_. The night air was cold and Robin exhaled through his mouth, creating a cloud of smoke. She got closer and closer, there came a point when he actually knew where she stood, even if she was invisible, her presence was sizzling about his veins, and when Robin finally looked ahead, he knew her brown orbs were looking right back at him.

She was so close he could feel her breath touch his heated skin, could hear her heart hammering inside her chest, pulsating with nerves and expectation, but he did not move, only waited.

It was when the feel of what could only have been the very pads of her fingers touched lightly at his cheek that Robin succumbed and closed his eyes, delighting in the small but precious touch she gave him. He heard her stuttered exhale and felt her fingers slide down his cheek ever so softly.

Robin opened his eyes when her touch was gone to find her standing in front of him. She looked very little like the _Queen_ at that precise moment; he did not think he had ever seen her face completely deprived of paint until now, the scar on her upper lip was much more visible without the constant red that took residence upon her lips. All of her hair was down, and she wore a warm looking black robe that reached her ankles. Her eyes were glassy and she looked frail but not defeated.

"This isn't working" she broke the silence; her voice was watery and soft.

"What isn't?" Robin's voice was just above a whisper, he could hardly believe she was there.

She contorted her face as if trying to hold back something but then gave in, "_Everything_" she looked deeply into his eyes and the action nearly hurt given how nervous both of them were felling. She had not looked him in the eye like that in _weeks_.

She took a deep breath, wet her lips with her the tip of her tongue uneasily, as if she was about to say something, but at the very last minute only looked down at her feet.

There was a moment of silence in which Robin did not know what the best course of action was. She was finally _there_, standing in front of him, and yet, he felt there was still a chasm in between them. He opened up his mouth to ask what '_everything'_ was when her head shot up and she began to speak again.

"That insect ruined everything!" her tone held frustrated determination, "We almost had them, Robin!" her eyes went wide for a second and Robin felt a lump grow on his throat at the sound of his given name, she continued "They were-" she gesticulated with her arms, "-_mesmerized_ with the gold."

She sighed, turned her back on him, and started to pace, too exasperated in her own frustration to stand still. Robin felt a little sick at the her last words, even though it had been a while since he had not stolen from the rich to give to the poor, hearing her say how she wanted to manipulate her own people with riches left his stomach in knots.

She turned back to face him and kept going, "But that _bug_ just had to be there! She-"

"She's clearly got the girl under her wing." Robin interrupted her.

For a moment, she simply stared at him, surprised that he had said anything at all, but then she was scoffing and telling him, "Oh please, Blue's wings are so small they could not even cover Snow's obnoxiously big head." Her tone held pure disdain but the feeling was lost when a laugh left her lips, Robin could not help but let out a small chuckle at her remark.

_There she was. _

But the humor quickly died out as she exhaled, seemingly a little defeated when she spoke again, "It was foolish of me to think they would help-" she shook her head and before Robin could say anything, she went on, "The people will never love me as they did that _imbecile_ Leopold."

"Since when do you care about _love_?" he found himself asking, truly intrigued by the route this conversation was taking.

She tensed up, looked him right in the eye and squinted a little when she told him, "_I don't_" she straightened her posture a bit more, "But, with their _love_ comes their _trust_, something I could really use right now." She clicked her tongue, "They look at me as if I'm an abomination they want absolutely nothing to do with. I can see the rebellion in their eyes, they are on _her_ side. I know it."

Robin felt his chest clench upon seeing her like that, hanging her head and hopeless, having her own people turn against her in favor of a runaway adolescent. He knew she had come to him because she needed something, needed someone to believe in her, to extend a hand a help her get to her feet again.

"Were you going to kill that woman?" he asked her matter of factly.

"What woman?" she replied puzzled.

"The old woman from the first village, the one you wrapped in magical chains, _Granny._" he gave her, his voice was not so smooth anymore.

"I-" she hesitated, and he knew that there laid the problem, "Yes!" she replied quickly, "Of course I was, that was the whole point-"

He interrupted her again, "Then next time, _get_ to the point." He pointed a finger at her.

Robin knew his tone had grown harsh but this was the only way he knew this was going to work. "Show them what Snow White is really up against." he took a few steps in her direction, "Don't hold back, don't _hesitate_." He spoke with a strange military passion, his chest burning in anticipation with the idea of death, "Show them the lengths you are willing to go to get what you want." Her face was so close, she was starting to get a little flushed, but Robin kept going, "Do to your subjects as you do to your army, failure means _death_."

He had almost closed the distance between them completely, standing a foot away from her Robin placed his hands on her shoulders, looking her dead in the eye, "If they won't love you, you can _make_ them fear you, Regina."

_Silence_, the air between them was thick and tense as she took in his words, he could feel her heart racing, see her eyes widening and he squeezed her shoulders in reassurance. He could see the tears start to fill up her eyes and for a moment, she brought both her hands to his elbows and stayed like that, the energy between their skins running free.

The next moment, however, she was forcing his hands from her shoulders by pulling on his elbows and shaking her head, "Why are you helping me?" she asked him as if she was questioning her own existence, "I don't deserve this." She took a couple of steps back, looking at him strangely.

Robin did not know what to say to that. He was half-frozen on the spot as she looked at him with watery eyes and disbelief painted on her features. When she turned around to leave, Robin found his voice, "_Don't leave_" and it was like his words were laced with magic for she stopped dead on her tracks and remained still.

After a beat, he was the one to move, he went to stand in front of her, but she kept her gaze downward, her face expressionless but for the taint of red on her cheeks. Robin was conflicted, on one side he was furious at her volatile personality, for never knowing what he would be up against every time he went to her. He was also mad for the ice-cold treatment she had been giving him over the past three weeks, emotionless, without a single drop of humanity.

_That was not the woman he knew, was not the woman he- _

But he also felt deep empathy for her, he knew she had her ghosts, her traumas, as he had his, and that those probably tormented her on a daily basis, just like his did before his heart was ripped from his chest – now the only thing that haunted him was _her_.

So he stood before her, but did not touch her, not wanting to test his luck, his voice came out low and soft, "What's wrong, Regina?"

Her head was inclined downward as was her gaze. She did not move for a moment, her dark hair served as a curtain to hide her features. It took her a while, but when she finally spoke, her was voice small, her eyes still cast down, "I did not know it was her," she gave him simply.

Robin felt his left shoulder - where she had marked him - sting at what she had just said, and although her words had come out of nowhere, and were completely out of context, Robin knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Robin, I-" she tried weakly lifting her head a little, but the words failed her and she pressed her lips against each other forming a thin line.

"Yes?" his voice was just above a whisper.

"I-" she could not find her words, she took one of his hands into both of her own in a hastened move and exhaled in a stutter, "I am _truly_-" she swallowed, "-sorry about-" her thumbs started to caress the back of his hand quickly, more to relieve a bit of her nerves than to soothe him.

She was so damn nervous he could feel it pouring out of her pores, "For putting you through-" She stopped again, she really had no idea what she is doing, Robin almost took pity on her, but in the greater scheme, the very least that he felt that he deserved was an apology, so he was going to let her finish.

She squeezed his hand in her own and finally said it, loud and clear, but her eyes were cast down again, "_I'm sorry_"

The silence that followed the apology was so dense Robin could have sliced it with his dirk. He was rather surprised the conversation had turned towards that particular event, which, if Robin was being completely honest, he had not yet gotten over completely. He knew that for her to utter those three words of apology she had bent most of her internal, utterly demented rules.

"I can't say that it was pleasant." he found himself confessing, if she was being honest with him and truly apologizing, he felt it would only do her a disservice if he lied and told her that it was nothing, "It was one of the most daunting things I ever saw in my whole life."

She tightened her grip on his hand, but still did not look up, "I could only imagine-" her voice was above a whisper, as if they weren't meant to be heard.

Robin stiffened at her last remark. He felt his ears suddenly grow hot with anger.

How would _she_ know of what he went through that day?

How _could_ she possibly know how _he_ felt?

She had had no love for her husband, practically danced on his grave – given, the twat deserved it – but how could she know how _he_ had felt like? She had been wed at 18, how could she-

_It was never my ambition to be anything other than myself,_ he could hear her words from all those weeks ago ringing in his ears.

Maybe she _had_ known love, a long, long time ago. Robin knew that love, _true love_, left its mark, it branded you for life, just as death did.

_For I have lost love once too_, the words of the make believe Queen his drunken mind had conjured rang in his ears.

_Could they be true?_

"I regret doing so many things in my life." She continued to speak, Robin was brought back to the here and now, his anger at her had dissipated. He felt a single tear fall on the back of his hand, the one she kept gripping like a lifeline. "But this-" it was killing him that she could not say those things to his face, "I still have not been able to forgive myself, I can't look you in the eye."

This time the tear that moistened the back of his hand was his own, "I look at you and I'm reminded of that haunted look you gave me, and how I didn't _care_," her voice broke a little, "-even though I _knew_ there was something wrong." She spoke quickly, her voice more watery than ever.

"It was not your fault Regina." he finally spoke, his words kind and understanding.

"Then why do I feel I need your forgiveness?" She asked him a little exasperated.

He brought his free hand to her chin, stealing from her a gasp, and ever so slowly lifted her face so she would look at him. Her eyes were filled with tears, her cheeks and nose red, she looked bared and exposed, just like the woman he had seen when he learned her name, _Regina_.

The word was simple but effective, "_Forgiven_." It escaped his lips almost automatically, and Robin instantly felt better about the whole situation, like his arms were not tied by bitterness anymore, a soothing breeze seemed to have freshened up his soul.

_Regina_ – yes, that was Regina standing in front of him, not the Queen – looked completely baffled, as if she could hardly believe what he had just said, her mouth was slightly agape, she blinked a couple of times making the tears inside her eyes trail down her lovely cheeks.

"Truly? Just like that?" She sounded so hopeful and yet terrified.

He gave her a soft smile and captured a tear with the pad of his thumb, "Truly. Just like that." He mimed her words, reassuring her.

She was quick, one moment, his words were sinking in, the next, she was on him, but unlike the many times she had attacked him, this time she had not gone for his throat in order to strangle him, nor did her lips meet his own in order for more heated things to happen.

Instead, her arms snaked their way around his neck and she pressed herself against him in a tight hug that took him by surprise more than the various times she had tried to murder him. He immediately held her back, hugging her frame onto him own, slipping his arms around her middle and burying his face in her hair, taking in her scent, her essence, and that maddening electricity they shared.

_That was home_

The realization took him completely by surprise, sure, he had known he felt strongly for her, but could _she_, could _this_, be home? This crazy, inconsistent, mess that could hardly be called a relationship. The more he rationalized it, the more absurd it sounded, but at the same time, the more he sank into her embrace, the more he felt that it was where he belonged, for some strange reason, he had found something in her that made him want to live again.

He placed a tender kiss on the top of her head, thinking of how he had never done that to her, a milestone for them that would be considered by anyone else something mundane. The strange scar she had created on his left shoulder began to heat up, but this time the feeling was not hurtful but soothing.

Robin did not want to overthink any of this; he did not know how long this would last. So he focused instead on _her_ and this singular moment they shared; the simple act of holding each other, so ordinary for some, but such a huge step for them.

They remained like that for a few minutes until she rested her head on the crook of his neck, her eyes closed, and sighed as if relieving a houseful of worries, whispering ever so softly, "_Thank you._"

That moment was one of the most peaceful ones he had had in the longest time, it seemed so silly to believe that a mere hug could carry such great importance, but this one did. They held each other in ease, as if they had the rest of eternity to live out this moment, Robin could feel her vibrate with thankfulness and peace, all her previous dispositions erased from her aura. Robin himself felt so light and serene he shut his eyes, all the heartache and guilt having been put on hold for a while, he found himself wishing this moment would never end.

But there was no such luck for them, Robin had to wonder if there would _ever_ be a moment of peace for the pair of them.

A strange light disrupted their moment. It all happened rather quickly, one moment, they held each other in ease, the next, as the light hit them, Robin's senses were turned back on. His eyes shot open at once and the silver light invaded his retina, but the clarity was not blinding like the one created by the blue-mosquito-fairy. Nevertheless, his arms left her in instinct so he could position himself in front of her in order to shield her from whatever it was that emanated said light. It was a strange thing, the light was warm and did not seem harmful, even so, he pulled his dirk from his belt.

It had been foolish of him to think that she would stay back, the moment he distracted himself to get ahold of his dirk, the woman he was trying to protect left his shadow to stand beside him, a fireball already floating on top of her palm.

Both of them faced the light as it diminished in intensity, their weapons of choice ready to 'fire'. His brow knitted in confusion as Robin found himself facing a silver fox, which had apparently been the source of all that light. It sat on one of the lower branches of the tree where he had made his nest for the night. He squinted a little in order to see the glowy animal better, or to reassure himself that the beast was indeed silver and not the ordinary brow that would have been barely visible in the middle of the night.

The fox did not seem too worried about the two weapons that were drawn against it, but instead simply crooked its tiny neck to the side to stare at the pair a little bit better. Robin found himself turning his head a little to the side to meet the Queen's gaze, she had had the same thought and they exchanged looks of alertness and confusion.

Many quite unbelievable things had been happening over the course of the last hour, but Robin was pretty sure that that was no ordinary fox and that it was _familiar_ somehow.

Suddenly, the animal was on the move, leaping from the tree with unnatural grace and speeding through the small gap in between them so fast Robin did not have the chance to react in time. The Queen's fireball did not leave her palm as they both turned around to watch the strange animal rush by the trees and disappear in the darkness of the woods, leaving them both standing there startled and in silence.

"What on earth was that?" Robin could not help but ask since he was quite sure that was the second time he had seen that strange silver animal.

She did not respond right away, her gaze fixed on the spot where the animal had disappeared. The flame was extinguished from her palm when she took a deep breath and shifted her weight from one leg to another, blinking a few times.

"I'm not quite sure" she licked her lips, "But I might have an idea-"

She sighed and brought her eyes back to him and for a moment there was an awkward silence. After everything that had happened between them over the past hour, Robin really did not know what to do or say. He wanted to bring her back in his embrace, holding her so felt _right_, and he had not had that feeling in the longest time.

But now she looked a little out of sorts, it would have been quite funny if they were in any other situation, he could have teased her endlessly about being out of words. But given what had just happened, the expression on her face, the uneasiness with which she was biting her lower lip, the way she was shifting her weight from one leg to another, plus the fact that she was looking everywhere but at his direction, were no fuel for mockery.

Robin was just about to try and save the situation by commenting on the weather when she surprised him for the billionth time that evening. She cleaned her throat and brought her hands to the lapels of her robe in order to cover herself a little bit more – it was a rather cold night after all – and spoke again, her voice laced with sarcasm, "Was that _really_ piss that you drank?"

Robin had to let out a chuckle as she chose to play such a humiliating card in order to break that odd silence. He had gotten over it – not feeling his stomach spin at the mention of that particular incident anymore – if Robin was being completely honest, he was actually starting to see a little bit of humor on the fact that he had drowned himself with such a substance.

Regina herself let out a controlled giggle, and looked down for a moment with a sly smile on her lips, Robin found himself momentarily drawn to them, so for a few seconds, he forgot everything about her remark.

"I shall take your silence as confirmation that you enjoyed it," her supple lips moved again and broke the spell, he looked up to meet her eyes that sparkled with mischief.

"In my defense, I did not _know_ that it was piss." Robin tried to defend himself, his accent coming out stronger than usual due to the amusement in his tone and the more unorthodox thoughts that were starting to invade his mind, "I just thought it was _really_ bad brandy."

She released a delicious laugh and threw her head back as she gave him, "You're quite the connoisseur."

"_Connoisseur_?" He imitated her voice, and made a posh movement with his hand, "What kind of word is that?" He scrunched his face.

"Animal-" she murmured as she arched one perfect brow, her disposition had changed a lot, she was more at ease now, amused.

The banter had become their official comfort zone, where they could tell each other truths in disguise of jest, insult each other but not really mean it, laugh and smile without fear. Almost like child's play, it was their safe place.

"Whatever _am_ I going to do with you?" she slurred.

"Whatever you want." Robin found himself saying. If he was taking the expression on her face as anything, he might not spend this night alone in the woods after all.

"I'll remember you said that, _thief_" she got closer and placed her hand upon his chest, running it up, past his neck until the tips of her fingers touched his lips. Robin did not miss a beat and bit down softly at the pad of her index finger earning from her a sharp inhale in between her teeth.

By this point, he did not know if this was a competition in banter or in seduction, or even if this was a competition at all, he only knew it felt nice and exciting, his blood pumped fast in his veins. He did not want to miss a beat with her, so he quickly replied, "Like that?" he gestured towards her wandering fingers that were toying with his stubble.

"That depends on how many times you washed your mouth after the day you drank piss" she shot back at him smiling but bringing her hand from his face and holding it up.

Robin scrunched his face at the loss of contact but did not let the ball drop, "Who keeps horse piss inside a brandy bottle anyway?" he asked her.

"Who drinks _anything_ they've found at the stables?" She threw at him without blinking an eye, even if he had had his eyes closed he could have still heard the smile in her voice.

"How is it that you know so much about the comings and goings of stables anyway?" he questioned her with a smile, already anticipating her snarky reply.

But it never came, not as quickly as Robin had assumed it would anyway. Her smile vanished completely in a matter of seconds, her expression was one of controlled shock. Robin was not sure if she was breathing until she took a sharp inhale through her nose whilst closing her eyes. The whole thing was making Robin utterly confused and even a little dizzy, it seemed as if they could not catch a break.

Her response came eventually, after she slowly opened her eyes and spoke to him in a tone that did not carry a single drop of humor but did not sting as well, it was controlled but not poised, the words bore weight, _importance_, Robin just did not know why, "I always enjoyed riding, ever since I can remember."

She looked down and frowned, and he knew there was _something_ there, something about stables and horses that got to her in a way that made her vulnerable, and although his curiosity was screaming at him to press the matter and find out more about this whole thing, he did no such thing. She had already been through enough for one night, and Robin also found himself longing for the ease of thirty seconds ago.

So he tried the best he could to bring it back.

"If you _must_ know-" he took her hand, relieved that she did not finch away, "A _real_ thief-" he felt the ring on her forefinger, "never judges what he has stolen," he pulled the ring swiftly from her finger and she gasped in surprise as he held up the jewel, it had a pretty green stone, emerald perhaps, "-_milady._" He finished with a brief bow and could see that his attempt had been victorious for a soft smile was again painted on her lips.

She smirked and waved her hand in the air, making the ring disappear from his own and return to her finger, she spoke after she performed her spell, "So it was the thief in you who drank the piss?"

"Well, the thief in me _can_ _be_ quite daft at times-" Robin confessed, drawing another chuckle from her, "-it is prone to sometimes doing _dangerous_ and _stupid_ things." He looked down quickly at her lips then back up again to meet her chocolate brown eyes.

The woman was no fool, she had gotten the message, "How _dangerous_ would you say they were?" she asked and bit her lower lip after she finished, the damned minx knew only too well what she was doing.

He did not want to miss a beat with her, "This thief in me keeps on wanting to steal a particular thing that might get me killed."

They were getting closer again, all of a sudden they were close enough that she was able to fist his shirt and pull at it a little whilst she spoke, "What's that?" her voice was low, she knew what he wanted, _she_ wanted it as well.

He gave her a sly smirk and grunted, "I think you know-"

"Enlighten me." she whispered, widening her eyes, setting out a challenge.

That had been the perfect cue for Robin to crash his lips to hers and kiss her breathless. And yet, when it came to it, he found himself placing a soft hand to her cheek and stroking the soft skin there with the pad of his thumb.

She did not anticipate his actions, and let out an involuntary ragged breath through her mouth. He blinked slowly as he took the image of her in, face deprived of paint, lips red-ish from the constant biting, eyes wide like a lost animal.

That was _Regina_.

He could even see a little bit of that younger Regina that had appeared on his dream in the depths of her eyes.

_She was there. She was real._

He got closer to her until their lips were a mere breath away, she parted her own when his other hand found rest on her lower back and brought her gently towards him, the gap in between their bodies was no more. He closed his eyes and extinguished the final distance between them shutting his opened lips on hers. That alone drew a sigh from her and Robin placed a kiss to the very corner of her mouth before he kissed her full on the lips. His approach had never been like this, he was soft, he wanted to taste her. That very little but intense contact had made shivers run up his spine and back down, their electric connection jumped in between their lips like fireworks.

She sighed and responded to the kiss with the same intensity, letting him guide her towards this strange new path. The kisses were simple but felt like nothing he had ever experienced, Robin was reluctant to admit he had a few butterflies in his stomach, the tenderness of the moment was somehow alien to him, he had not kissed anyone like that since…

He broke the kiss, feeling his chest tighten and his scar burn, and touched his forehead to hers, the words slipped from his lips, "Glad to see I'm still alive after that _vicious_ act of thievery."

Her arms were on his shoulders, resting there as she hummed in agreement, her eyes closed.

"Maybe I'm willing to learn to steal a thing or two after this _vicious act of thievery_." Her velvety voice sounded very relaxed, she leaned back a little in order to look at him, her eyes were brilliant in that moonlit darkness, he could see her vibrate with anticipation.

He could not help but smile at that, not a smirk, but a real actual smile, "The art of stealing kisses is a very ancient and complex one."

"I'm sure I can keep up." She gave him and before he could even think of a reply, her lips crashed against his own in a hungry kiss.

It was instantly explosive, she was making very little use of the tenderness of a moment ago but the kiss held true feeling, he could sense it. The feeling of _desperation_ for one, but also something new, _care_. She was no longer violent in her kisses, no longer demanding to the point of being a bitch, only fierce and passionate in a whole different way.

He bit her lower lip and pulled just a little before breaking the kiss. Her complexion had gained color, she took a few seconds to open her eyes again as he stood there trying to guess what emotion she was going to throw at him this time.

When blue met brown, Robin could see that her eyes had gained a darker shade, they were predatorily hungry.

_Robin was only too happy to be the meal._

She tore her eyes from his to look at his hand for a moment – which had remained resting on her cheek – but her gaze was quickly drawn elsewhere, _down_. Her eyes were inspecting the lower part of his body and soon her hands joined in, her sneaky fingers quickly untucked his sleeping shirt from inside his trousers and he could feel her sharp nails sliding up, then down, the electric contact making gooseflesh rise all over.

His hand left her cheek just as her fingers reached the waistline of his pants and pulled him towards her by it, crashing their bodies together, making Robin's cock twitch inside the confines of his trousers. His hand found its way down her neck and pulled a little of the thick fabric of the robe aside, exposing her bare shoulder.

She was wearing a black nightgown underneath it, something Robin found wasn't very much like her. She usually wore nothing at all underneath her robes, which made Robin wonder if she had or had not expected things to end this way when she had sought him out that night.

His eyes went back to hers, in a questioning gaze, seeking some sort of reassurance that that was what she wanted.

She regarded the thin strap for a moment and looked back at him, one of her hands pulling them even closer together as the other one moved to slide the black strap down her shoulder. She then took his hand and placed it on her collarbone, just above where her heart beat strongly, his hand almost went numb with the amount of energy that emanated from the spot his palm rested upon.

Her voice came out breathy, "Touch me Robin."

Before he could say or do anything, or even assimilate the _true_ meaning of those words, she crashed her lips against his and Robin found himself being a little breathless by her enthusiasm. Her tongue traced the line of his mouth and he opened up to her, feeling her hot tongue move with his own in an almost desperate dance.

Her heated kisses awakened something else in him, his slumbered lust coursed through his veins like venom, and Robin felt eager to elaborate on the theme of heated kisses and beyond.

Robin understood now why she had drawn away from him in such a dramatic way, she had been _ashamed_, not mad as she usually was, but ashamed of what she had caused him that day. Her shame only fueled Robin's theory that she had indeed known love, the kind of love that made one do crazy things. Robin had given her his forgiveness with an opened heart – which was ridiculous since she had his heart stocked somewhere in that vault – and had felt like a strange weight had been lifted from his back.

Her shame was all gone by now. Her hands felt up his sides from under his shirt, grabbing with gusto and strength, whilst they continued to kiss, their heads moving sometimes in synchrony but sometimes not so much. Robin did not care much for perfection, even the clatter of teeth, the accidental weird noise their joined mouths produced, were music to his ears.

His lips left hers only to start to trail hot kisses down her throat, Robin made sure to linger on that spot he had marked her on their first time together, a sensitive point that made her tighten her grip on his waist and let out a breathy moan. His lips reached her shoulder and Robin bit down on it as well, making her release another musical sound of pleasure and grind herself against his half-hard erection.

Heat and electricity jumped between their skins even though they were fully clothed, but not for long if Robin had any say in the matter. His lips travelled further down, and he brought the heavy fabric away from her flushed skin enough for his mouth to have access to the swells of her breasts.

The silky black nightgown still covered half of her breast and Robin licked her already erect nipple and started to nip at it through the fabric in order to tease her. His techniques worked wonders for she was arching her back in one moment and the next her quick fingers were pulling the rest of the light fabric aside to expose her breast to him.

His head immediately dove in, his mouth at work on her recently exposed skin, he gave her light marron nipple one nice lick and then blew a cold breath on it, making her shiver. She moved a little against him, placing her sex in between one of his legs, the next thing he knew, she was grinding herself against him in slow but strong moments, as if trying to relieve her tension with every new stroke.

She threw her head back when he continued his ministrations on her bare breast, licking softly, and gently drawing on her nipple, feeling it peak. When Robin took the nipple in his mouth and sucked with gusto, her hands left the insides of his shirt so she could wind her fingers through his hair.

A small squeal of pleasure left her lips when he bit ever so lightly at the tip of her well-sucked nipple and Robin had to fight to hold back the grin, she was turning to mush with his ministrations and he could not help but feel smug about it. Although he knew that one of her electrifying touches on his privates would probably bring him to his knees at once.

But at this moment her hands remained entwined in his hair – she had pulled her arm from the long sleeve of her robe in order to give him more access – pulling, tugging and guiding him to the right spot as she continued to practically ride his leg and make inarticulate noises. Robin's other hand was working on freeing the other breast, fiddling with the fabric on the other side as he licked around the circle of her nipple.

But before he was able to feast on the other soft breast, a strange noise reached his ears. His other hand stopped trying to divest her immediately as his mouth slowed down the pace on her breast. The sound happened again and Robin could swear it was a footstep.

He was actually quite surprised that he heard the noise at all since he was so concentrated on listening to all the pleasured hums he was drawing from her. But the distinct sound of scuffling leaves and footsteps were quite clear and for the second time that day, he knew that whatever it was out there, was no animal.

Robin cursed himself for not thinking through about this situation before he ripped half of her clothes off in the middle of the forest. For one, there were all the soldiers camping not that far away from them, they might be loyal to the crown, but Robin was no fool to believe that they would pass a peek at the Queen's private attributes. Robin was also painfully aware of the fact that many people _lived_ in the woods, and those people happened to detest royals. For all he knew, there could be anyone out there aiming arrows at him, or worst, at _her_.

He knew if he gave any sign of knowing there was someone out there, things would probably end badly, so instead, his lips started to make their way up, trailing wet but quick kisses up her collarbone and neck until his mouth was against the shell of her ear and he was able to whisper, "There's someone out there."

It took her a few seconds for the words to truly sink in, but when they did, her moving pelvis stopped and he felt her tense up at once. He left a kiss just behind her ear and placed a hand over her breast, a stupid attempt at covering her up without raising the suspicion of whoever was out there, as he continued to speak, "It's best if we pretend we don't know anything and you transport-"

But before he could actually finish his sentence, he was being engulfed by heavy dark smoke and for a few seconds, all he could see was a haze of forest. When the smoke was gone, however, he found himself in a dark place and before he could try and recognize where she had taken them, his hands had lost their hold of her body and he fell on his butt on a hard wooden surface.

Robin cursed under his breath and tried to adapt his vision to the darkness of the place – after all, they had had plenty of moonlight to illuminate their meeting outside – he looked for the Queen and found that she had landed right in front of him and was sitting in some manner of bench. It took Robin a little while to recognize the red velvet seats, and the dark curtains that decorated the insides of the Queen's carriage.

The confirmation of his location came when she held both her hands up, and a blue light emanated from them for a few seconds. Robin was able to see her – her forehead was creased in a concentrated frown – as well as the beautiful carvings on the dark wood and the silver handles of the doors.

The light faded and she quickly broke the silence, both of them back in the darkness, "How did you know there was someone watching us?" Since the light of the spell had spoiled his eyes for a little, he was not able to see anything at all too well, but for light blue spots caused by her spell, the curtains were drawn, it was weirdly obscure inside that carriage.

"I heard them." Robin gave her simply.

"Fox ears-" he heard her release a small chuckle, "-how fitting." He felt her bare foot come up and rest on his chest. She started toying with the fabric with her toes, clenching them in between them, trying to bring him closer to her.

"Was that blue light-?" he could not help but ask.

She did not let him finish as she placed her entire foot on his chest and cut him off, "- a protection spell, yes, it was."

Robin brought one of his hands to feel at the leg belonging to the foot located on his chest, and ran it up and down a few times before he asked, "Why did you bring us here?"

He heard her hum and could almost see her smile in her voice, "Well…" She spoke, shifting her weight and bringing her foot from his chest, placing both of her feet on either side of him; she spoke those last words whilst she lowered herself down so she could straddle him, their sexes again, only separated by silly layers of cloth, "I've always wanted to rock this carriage with you."

He chuckled, he could not help it, "I really cannot argue with that, _milady_." And before she even had the chance to take a breath to retort, his lips were on hers once more.

His tongue quickly laved with hers, tangoing, tripping over it, his hands were suddenly everywhere, he wanted to feel her bare against him as swiftly as possible. She resumed her much appreciated grinding against him, only this time her place of choice was his actual groin. Robin was definitely not complaining about _that_, but her moving pelvis made it a little difficult for him to get ahold of the stripe of fabric that held her robe together.

It was when she broke the kiss and started nipping her way down, licking the patch of skin near the middle of his throat, that he was finally able to locate and undo the treacherous thing. She gasped against the flushed skin of his collarbone when his hands slithered inside her robe, tracing barriers to her skin.

When she brought her head from his neck, Robin aimed for a kiss on her lips but ended up kissing her cheek, he kissed it anyway, his mouth ghosting about her neck and then back to hover above her lips. The feel of her was insane, his blood was pumping fast inside his veins, he felt alive, like he had finally woken up from a sleep she had put him in the last time they had been together. He kept on going, kissing her face whilst she fisted his shirt, seeming to want to disintegrate the fabric with her fingers.

She lifted her weight a little from his groin and was able to pull his shirt that had been trapped between them whilst Robin grazed his teeth at her neck. He had to bring his lips from her when she pulled his shirt up, taking it off without warning, pulling it over his head.

No sooner had the warmth of his sleeping shirt left him, it was being substituted by another, hers. She placed both her palms onto his chest, his skin burning with her heated touch, and placed a little weight on them, silently telling him to lean back. Robin did as her treacherous hands commanded and lowered himself, twisting and turning around until his whole back was to the cold wooden floor, since there was very little room, his legs were bent.

"Better?" He asked her half amused, half aroused, his voice had gone down an octave.

She leaned down only for a moment to reply in a whisper, "_Much_"

She straightened her posture and started moving against him once more, her sex grinding against his hardened one. She moved like a feline, her silhouette danced above him whilst she made the most agreeing of noises, Robin was in heaven.

He reached for the fabric of her robe that hung and pulled her towards him, her half naked torso coming in contact with his bare one, he could feel the his lingering spit on her breast. His hand went to the back of her head and he kissed her mouth with languor, tasting her. She pulled at little at his lower lip and gave him soft nips on the corner of his mouth.

It did not take long for her lips to start traveling south, he moved his body up so her own could accommodate better bellow. Her expert tongue seemed to want to catalogue every single sensitive spot on his torso, she traced it about his hipbone and seeing that he took a sharp intake of breath at that, started to explore the area further. When she finally found the damned spot right beside his hipbone that made him see stars, she sucked it with ardor and Robin's hand traveled up and fisted her hair, whilst he released a loud and embarrassing cry of pleasure.

She brought her head from that torturous yet delightful spot to look up at him, his sight had adjusted again, he could see her devious brown eyes and the smirk her well-kissed lips carried. She traced her tongue about the line of his pants, nipping at some points and bringing it down a little bit further with every new contact, but never further enough.

When some of his thicker body hair were starting to make an appearance at her slow, yet delectable torture, she spoke against his skin, "Better?" She mocked at his half-melted state, his hand had long lost its grip on her tresses due to her torture.

She did not wait for an answer, and promptly snaked her fingers about the seams of his trousers and yanked it down, freeing his erection from those awful cotton confines. She took it all off, and there he was, stark naked inside that carriage at her absolute mercy. And even though there was a submissive feel to their exchange, Robin was not bothered by it at all.

All he could manage, was a reply, "_Much_"

He should have known she would surprise him like that, after months of being with her, he really should have guessed. Her mouth went straight to the most aching part of his anatomy, taking him into her mouth and sucking it with gusto, and Robin was no longer in control of his body or the strange sounds it produced. She only sucked for a few seconds, and then drew her tongue up his member, starting at his balls and going her torturous way up until she reached his head and gave it a peck. 

She gave him a wicked smile and lifted herself from the floor, leaving him there with an aching situation in between his legs. She stood up, she was only just able to stand straight inside the carriage – the top of her head touched the ceiling – even though the Queen could make herself look like a titan when she wanted with her poise and ridiculously high heels, she was quite short when stripped from those.

Robin brought his elbows to the floor in order to lift himself a little so he could watch her as she finally took off the heavy robe, leaving it pooling at her feet. The nightgown underneath it was sin itself, it looked quite innocent on the upper part, with thin straps to hold it together, but as his eyes travelled down, he was able to see the creamy white of the sides of her legs. The long thing did not have one but two slits that went from the hem up to her mid-thigh on the sides.

She looked at him from above and her lips twitched again in a devious smile. She then turned her head to the side and blew at the strap that still held on to her shoulder. Her magic worked in making the slim thing disintegrate completely amidst red sparks.

Robin pushed himself off the floor and was on his knees in a manner of seconds, his hands ran up the naked sides of her legs and thighs until they found the silky fabric. He pulled it down slowly, revealing her bare beauty inch by inch to his hungry eyes.

Robin did not wait for her to step out of the slip and had his hands kneading her behind, his lips found the inside of her thigh, searching to pull a little some more of those musical moans from her. Her hands were on his head at once, her fingers winding in his hair, as she lifted one of her legs so her foot rested on the seat, making her most intimate parts much more _accessible_.

At first he brought his lips from her skin so his fingers could graze at her sex, she was so wet Robin could not help but groan with desire. She shuddered when he put one finger inside, pumping it in and out slowly, testing her, she clenched her walls around his lone finger and bucked her hips forward, needing more of the friction Robin wanted to take his time to give. He pulled out his finger to work two up and down her opening until he reached her bud, making her move in concert with them and release a few breathy exhales. He watched her with lust and admiration, she was just so enticing, he could not help it, so mysterious and yet so _raw_, almost like a true work of art, Robin had to wonder if she was indeed real and if all this was truly happening to him.

His mouth found her bundle of nerves, and she yelped at the first contact, her nails digging into his scalp. He sucked and nipped her _good_, tasting her bittersweet juices, loving the way she rotated her hips against his mouth and cried out in pleasure.

His tendons pressed against her flushed skin, sucking her harder and then bringing his lips from her bud only to give her a nice lick before getting back to making her writhe in ecstasy when he quickly flickered his tongue to and fro.

When she was just about to reach her peak, her hands had left his head and carved half-crescent marks on his shoulder, a series of "_Yes, yes, yes_" kept pouring from her mouth, Robin stopped sucking and drew his head back. Her reaction was almost immediate; her single frustrated "_No_" would have been comical if it hadn't been followed by a rather strong slap on his head.

He looked up and her eyes were crazy on him, she looked quite dangerous with her hair messed up and her cheeks burning. Her breathing was heavy but she managed to speak, her voice croaky from all the screaming, "You-" she took one deep breath, "You have some sort of death wish?"

He chuckled at her words and looked down thinking that a few months ago he did have a wish to die. But not anymore. Now he had _this_, he had _her_ and-

He earned himself a disdainful huff from her part, but was not discouraged. Robin got to his feet as best he could; he had to hunch to stand.

"Why did you stop?" her voice came out more disappointed than angry.

He arched one brow and replied whilst snaking his arms around her middle, "Well-" he pulled her naked body towards his and started moving backwards, "I thought you said you wanted to rock the carriage." He spoke in all earnest as he sat down on the bench leaving her to stand in front of him with a look of puzzlement still painted on her features, "I think-" he continued stroking the side of her thigh, feeling the gooseflesh rise there, "-riding me will do the trick, no?"

The chuckle she gave was low and sexy as she regarded him for a beat, biting her lower lip, a new glint of lust filling her already darkened brown eyes. "Well," her voice came out slurry as she placed her hands on his shoulders and climbed him, bringing each knee to either one of his sides. One of her fingers travelled its way up his neck ever so softly, it reached his chin making him look up in order to see her, since her knees were not bent yet, so she stood a head taller than him. She held his chin with two fingers and spoke, "Aren't you _amusing_?"

She decided her question had been rhetorical when both her hands cradled his face and she crashed her lips against his before Robin had the time to think of a reply. The kiss was hungry and full of promised, she sighed against his lips and their tongues met, Robin's hands worshiped the delicious sway of her lower back and her too-good-to-be-true arse.

Regina lowered herself onto his lap slowly, melting into their kiss until her weight was on him and their sexes met without any layer of fabric in the way. The flames that flickered between them were strong enough to set her entire castle on fire, she ground herself against him and broke the kiss, choosing to tread her lips down his neck and back up again, electing an ever so sensitive spot to suck with fervor.

Robin groaned, his hands feasting on her behind, as she moved above him, teasing him with her slick core against her stiff erection and her smart mouth on his neck.

When she brought her lips from the now thoroughly sucked spot, some of her hair covered her face, and Robin's fingers went to remove a strand and tuck it behind her ear. She straightened herself up on his lap, putting a slight distance between them so she could get ahold of his cock. Robin bit his lower lip at the feel of her warm hand around his aching member and the promise of being inside her wet core.

She positioned herself just right and began her heavenly descend. They were nose to nose, Regina let out a stuttered breath on his face that made his chest ache with something wild. His tendons pressed hard on her flesh as he felt his manhood being enwrapped by her warmth. Robin had the decency to control his urges to start moving in order for her to adjust to him, but she had other plans altogether, as soon as he was all the way in, her hips were rotating and her teeth found his shoulder and bit it down.

Robin groaned – she had bit down hard – and she traced the marks her teeth had left behind with her tongue before lifting her head. She placed her hands on both his shoulders for balance and started moving in the earnest above him. He took this chance to bring the rest of her hair from her face in order to look at her, head slightly tilted back, eyes closed and mouth hanging open as her body danced and their sexes met. Robin released his lower lips from in between his teeth at the sight. Jolts of liquid pleasure kept being pumped through his veins, but there was something else at play as well, something warm and strange when he looked at her like that, wild and free, walls temporarily down. He lifted one of his hands and ran the pads of his fingers on her cheekbones, feeling the zapping sensation there stronger than down where they were on fire.

She was mesmerizing, a sight Robin now wondered how he had gone without throughout his entire life. Her eyes opened and when blue met brown inside that darkened little space, Robin felt his chest clench, she took his breath away. The electricity between them was insane, she smiled at him and this time it made her look _so young_.

Robin felt himself buzzing, he could not help but moan loudly when she changed the pace, going for long and hard thrusts of her hips, making good on her promise to rock the carriage. He held her hips and moved with her, pumping himself in and out of her, hearing the unapologetic, wet noise of their act, the friction between their sexes was almost maddening.

She was practically jumping above him, she held on tight to the velvet seat behind him and guided herself on top of him masterfully, her hair a messy curtain on her face again, their moans getting louder by the second. The carriage was rocking all right, Robin was faintly able to register the creaky sounds of wood as they moved towards ecstasy, completely unpreoccupied with the state the vehicle would be in the next day.

Her lips were suddenly on his as she hummed something he did not understand and picked up the pace, choosing to forego the strong and deeper pace that she had in favor of a faster and shorter one.

Robin's hands were all over her, keeping up with her, euphoric at the feel of being inside her after so long and especially after he had finally acknowledged that this was so much more than physical chemistry, it went beyond the human need for warmth and sex. What they had was something else, something so unbelievable that felt almost like magic.

He took her hums against his mouth as a sign and quickly slid one hand downward, in order to bring her to the edge. At the first contact, she hissed and brought her lips from his as if to say something, but the words died on her lips as he started to use his calloused finger on her, her mouth was only able to release a loud "_Oh_" after that.

After a few more thrusts he could feel her tighten around him, Robin was sure he was going to reach his peak was well but she arrived first, shoving her hips against his hard as she did.

He could feel her relax a little on top of him but Robin continued to pump inside her with everything he had, her mouth teasing his neck, lips tracing the red marks she had created.

When she whispered on his ear "Come for me." He knew that he was done for. His head felt like it was going to explode when he reached his climax, and if Robin spoke quite frankly, he did not even know which one. He only knew that mind-blowing did not even begin cover what had just transpired between the two of them.

He closed his eyes for a moment, her warm skin against his own prolonging the ecstatic feeling of his orgasm, he got lost in the sensation. Their heavy breathing filled the small confines of the carriage, which had grown hot and stuffy even though winter was at play outside. Their sexes were still joined as he faintly registered his manhood softening, she moved a little - his juices started to slide from inside her – and tucked her head on the crook of his neck, her chest against his own, she hummed in lazy pleasure.

His hands caressed the small of her back, the orgasm and events prior to it having drained him of most of his energy, he felt himself relax in that position, feeling he could happily go to sleep just as he was, with her warm body still tangled about his, inside that stuffy cage.

He was so dizzy that his mind took a few moments to realize that his back was not brushing against velvet anymore but fur, and that the welcome weight of Regina was no longer on him. When Robin opened his eyes he was in another place, she must have transported them with magic, he laid on his back on a comfortable cot on the floor, warm furs caressed his sweaty skin.

_Was that her tent?_

The lighting there was very dim, provided by a single half-burned candle that rested on a small table. Robin found it curious that the tent looked smaller from the inside, the coot took most of the space but was not very grand, fit for two people at most. As for the rest of the space, there was barely anything interesting to see apart from a large chest, a chamber pot, and the table that housed the candle as well as a water basin and jar.

His gaze travelled to his side and found her laying on her back, naked as the day she had been born, one arm above her head whilst the other rested over her middle, her gaze turned to the opposite direction. She looked like an oil painting, poised, and yet natural, comfortable and untroubled. His lazy eyes perused her body, the insides of her thighs carried the evidence of their passionate act and Robin felt something strong about that, something masculine and primitive.

A noise from outside drew their attention immediately. She was quicker than him - she had that infuriating habit - and drew the tent's flap with her magic, whilst she sat up and he lifted his weight slightly on his elbows, so they could see what was outside.

The sight was in one word, _ridiculous_.

The carriage was in full view of their eyes as it gave away to one of its wheels - probably the side they had made use of during their _ride_. The round thing was crushed by the weight, and the large vehicle tumbled dramatically to its direction, making quite a ruckus.

Robin's elbows gave in as he laughed at the scene before him, the carriage half destroyed outside due to their more than inappropriate usage of it. Her laughter also filled the tent as she threw herself back on top of the furs next to him and placed the back of her hand on his stomach, arching her back as she chuckled.

But the reality of things was that they were so tired they could barely keep up with laughing for much too long, the sound of their humor died out but the smile did not leave his lips, Robin turned to the side to find that neither had it left hers.

He felt the back of her hand brushing against his side absentmindedly as she lifted the other one and commanded for her magic to draw the flap back down and created another flash of blue protective light about it.

They were left again in that strangely not-so-red candle light - he could bet that it must have been orange, but since he could not see it, all the color that was available to him were the most red-ish parts of the illumination. Her head turned to the side and their eyes met. For a while, they remained like that, only staring at each other, too tired to be suspicious or to think of another round.

Robin could not say who fell asleep first.

…

"I am going to give you one last chance" the Queen told the crowd before her, they had been there, trying to extract some information from the peasants for over half an hour but no one seemed to know anything about Snow White.

He had woken up to an empty coot in the morning; he had a mild headache for getting up too quickly in order to look for her. But his questions were soon answered when he heard her bellow at one of the soldiers, "DO I LOOK LIKE I NEED ANY HELP?" She had screeched and Robin only understood the reason behind her outburst when he pulled the flap of the tent a little to see her figure open the door to the half-destroyed carriage. Not only two second later, his clothes magically dropped on top of his head, his dirk falling fatally tip-of-the-blade-first on top on the table.

He had gotten dressed and exited the tent as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. The men did not dare and look at him or make any sort of comment about where he had spent the night, none of them were deranged enough to try and be funny. A few men were trying to get the carriage straight, under the watchful eye of the Queen and Robin could not hold back a smirk. When the men had failed, she simply huffed and waved her hands, fixing the carriage in seconds with her red, smoky magic.

She cursed them and told them to get the carriage ready, and went to her tent, passing Robin by, but this time, throwing a sassy smile his way, to which he acknowledged with a wink.

Unfortunately, her content disposition had worn thin by now.

Robin could see the Queen was getting to the limit of her patience, she had offered gold, animals, food, and yet, the people – who knew _something_, they all knew something, one of the few good information they had gotten was that Snow White had spent a fortnight in that village for she was traveling to meet _someone_ around those parts – refused to speak, refused to betray their precious princess.

"Tell me what you know of Snow White's whereabouts and this village will never face a hungry winter again" she gave them.

The silence that followed was one in many humiliating, Robin knew she felt diminished by this situation, and grew angrier by the second. However, the Queen faced the silence with defiance, staring at the shrunk looking peasants even though none of them dared to meet her eye.

After a solid minute of very uncomfortable silence, the Queen spun on her heel and stomped her way to Robin's direction, she stopped beside him, so they were shoulder to shoulder, turned her head to the side, and whispered, her words meant for his ears alone, "Kill them, kill them all"

Robin knew that that was what he had encouraged her to do the night before, but he had to ask regardless, "Even the children, your majesty?"

She took a moment to take a breath and open her mouth but before anything left her lips, a loud noise drew everyone's attention so it's source.

_Damn, not him_

He had jumped off a damned tree.

How he had not been able to spot that _fucking_ twat will remain a mystery. Robin had always prided himself in having eyes even on the back of his head, so how could that _idiot_ have gone by unnoticed? All of the peasants seemed a bit restless because of his _grand_ entrance and all of the guards had drawn their weapons.

"Are ya all really _that_ thick?" He addressed to the crowd and Robin had to hold his cool not to knock that idiot unconscious, "Ya're all there, thinking ya are something else because ya're keeping yar trouts shut for the sake of a ruddy royal who by next week won't even remember ya ever existed?" He asked the people around, turning his tall and thin body to face the other side.

Time had been kind to the bastard, he still had the same boogie eyes but his cheeks were hollower and he looked a little gray, "She don't even remember the bloody names of them daft bodyguard dwarfs of 'ers!" Robin did not know what he was playing at, but whatever it was, he knew he should be on his toes.

"And you are?" The Queen's voice asked, her tone was unimpressed but carried curiosity

"Will Scarlet is his first name-" Robin volunteered, stepping forward and heading to face his old _mate_, "-and his second is _'utterly untrustworthy'_." He spat.

"Now look 'ho's 'ere!" Will beamed and Robin felt like punching him in the face, "John told me ya might be 'ere, mate!" He remained where he was, Will was not dumb enough to try and go for a hug.

"You bloody well know that it's been a long time since we were _mates," _Robin practically spat at him, his anger growing by the second, it only did not overcome him at the mention of his once best friend John, the thought of the big fellow made his chest clench, but he continued to address Will with despise. "_You_ made sure of that." he noted that his accent had grown thicker with irritation, seeing someone from his past would always bring the old man from Nottingham back.

"Aye-" Will studied him for a bit and that desire to punch the sordid bastard in the face was beginning to turn into a _need_, "Ya 'aven't been nobody's _mate_ for a while now, 'un?" He had the nerve to lift both his eyebrows in challenge.

Robin's right fist was already ready, and it was quite prepared to find home on Will Scarlet's already-three-times-broken nose, but the Queen's voice interrupted Robin's plans, "What do you hope to obtain with this intrusion Mr. Scarlet?" her voice was simple, all business Queen was back.

The sordid bastard had the nerve to smirk at her and replied, "For one, not getting meself or any of these thick 'eaded peasants killed would be fantastic."

The Queen hummed and Robin felt himself grow hot with anger. Robin _knew_ Will, that backstabbing arsewipe that had betrayed him all those years ago, stolen what he was told _strictly_ not to and then ran off to God knows where, and left him and the merry men with a huge problem with a very angry dragon lady. Bottom line, Will Scarlet was not to be trusted and it infuriated Robin more than he cared to admit that the Queen would want any help from that mosquito looking idiot.

"That will solemnly depend on what you are willing to share with me regarding the whereabouts of a certain '_ruddy royal'_ the people of this village _insist_ in protecting." She spoke with clarity and poise, there was very little sentiment in her speech, although Robin knew she must have been bursting on the inside with anticipation.

Will licked his lips and gave the Queen a look from head to toe that would have earned him a fireball in the privates had he not been the owner of precious information. The look did not go unnoticed by the Queen but she simply pursed her lips in disapproval as she waited for the man before her to speak.

"Ya were right-" he pointed his finger at the Queen and Robin took one step ahead, he was getting tired of this stupid game and wanted to knock that twat unconscious more than anything, maybe even _permanently_ unconscious. "Snow White _was_ 'ere, right in this village." He spoke out so all could hear him, the peasants looked quite terrified, no wonder, "I know for a fact that she went to 'ide in the Forest of the Dead."

The Queen's eyes widened at the sound of the information, she quickly asked, "And _how_ would you know that?"

"She was quite loud about it the other night actually-" Will started to scratch the back of his head and Robin knew there was something off about this whole tale.

When Will did not elaborate, the Queen gave him a small incentive by creating a fireball that hung midair right in front of her, "Loud about-?" She repeated herself, her voice was grave, Robin knew she was quite ready to set Will on fire if she had to.

"Is that fireball coming anywhere near me if ya dislike me answer?" Will asked, obviously worried about his own well-being first and foremost.

"It _all_ depends on your answer-" she arched a perfect brow, "You'd better tell me truth or I _will_ set this entire village on fire and all the 'thick headed' peasants that come with it."

There was some agitation amongst the villagers, they had been obviously frightened of the Queen's powers, but having her say with all the words that she would set them on fire depending on Will-the-idiot-Scarlet's answer, had put them a little on the edge.

"Well-" Will started, still looking a little uneasy at the fire hanging in the air and this situation _he_ had put himself into, "She was on about why she 'ad chosen to make camp in that particular wood." He cleaned his throat and lowered his voice, the Queen promptly leaned her head in his direction to catch every word, "Something about-" he stopped again, "Well-" he bit his lower lip.

"About what?" The Queen nearly screamed, the flame before her grew twice in size.

"About-" Will closed his eyes and spoke fast, "-the Queen not 'aving the guts to go look for 'er there since it 'eld too many ghosts of the past." He held his breath and waited for her reply with his eyes closed.

"_What did she say_?" The Queen whispered dangerously, she was about to burst, Robin could feel her explosive energy emanating from her body, it affected him strangely making him oddly angry as well, he could feel it in his veins. He only knew one thing for sure, it did not matter what Will said anymore, a simple _'a'_ would make her burst.

Will swallowed as he looked back at the Queen, his expression no longer smug but quite afraid, he had turned practically white, Robin wondered if his former mate would have the balls to repeat what he had just disclosed.

"I-" was the only thing that came out of his mouth, he closed it again, coward.

The Queen pounced, her patience long gone, she was magically quick, her feet did not move, but before Will could take another breath they were nose to nose and her hand closed around his throat. Robin wondered why was it that she liked to strangle people so much. Maybe it was because she had been suffocated most of her life, from what little he knew of her, it seemed like she had been quite repressed before her husband finally died, and payback, specially when it came to her, was always a _bitch_.

Although there was nothing he would like most than to have Will _fucking_ Scarlet dead, something inside him told him to intervene, this wasn't the way it was supposed to go.

Before Robin knew it he was standing right beside her, his voice was calm and low, meant for her ears alone, "_Don't_" Robin urged her, "You got what you came for, _you have a lead_, and a damn good one."

He could see Will's eyes going even wider at Robin's words. But his attentions were not focused on that scum but at the Queen, she turned her head to look at him ever so slowly. The unhurried movement made her look rather frightening, her expression was one a marble fury, frozen and yet irate.

She did not say anything only stared at him with eyes that told a million different stories. Robin was not going to back down now, even though they found themselves in a very public situation, he was not going to play the humble servant. He knew he had to reason with her, "If you kill him now, you'll give all these people _real_ reason to hate you and to side with _her_."

"And also _real reason_ to fear me." her voice was soft and cold, and she gripped Will's throat a little tighter with her magical grasp. The man let out a suffocated cry, it would not take long now.

"But what if you could have both?" Robin argued in hushed tones, "Love _and_ fear." He did not know what came over him for those alien words to leave his lips. After all, he had, just the night before, advised her to do exactly the opposite, to have _no_ mercy, to go to the extreme and show those peasants what Snow White was up against. But something inside him was sure that she could still have their 'love' without giving up having them fear her as well. He hoped she would understand, she had said that they could not love her like they did the King before her, but if she showed mercy with this rotten being, maybe she still had a chance.

For a moment, she simply looked at him, a million thoughts seemed to rush through her mind, her darkened brown eyes squinted for a second but then she was opening them up again, they gained their normal brown color, she let go.

Will was immediately gasping for air, placing both his hands to his throat, but before he could run away, the Queen grasped him with one hand by the cheeks and squeezed, making him look cartoonish with his boogie eyes and fish like lips.

"You got lucky." she whispered dangerously, and then she let go of him altogether shoving him away from her with her once gripping hand.

He nearly tripped when she released him, her eyes left his to finally look about the people who had done nothing more than stare in awe at everything that had been happening. As her gaze swept across the people, their heads turned downward in a sign of respect, Robin felt relieved at that, she was still commanding fear, they would eventually succumb.

Will was making his drowsy way out of the circle the crowd had created when Robin grabbed him by the back of the neck and told him, "Not so fast" bringing a little attention to themselves when Will cried out in pain, for Robin was not really bothering to be delicate with the man's recently harmed neck.

The Queen immediately turned around to look at the pair and Robin spoke again, this time his tone was loud and clear, "Are you quite done with him, your majesty?"

She squinted only a little whilst she looked at him with a regal and yet behind the royal facade, questioning gaze, she replied a simple, "Yes"

"Good." Robin felt himself smile at her response, a great violent rush started pulsating in his veins.

He did not think twice before he acted, one moment he was holding Will by the neck and the next he was letting it go so his closed fist could make contact with Will's obnoxiously big nose. Robin felt a crack of bone, heard the pain in Will's cry, and smelled the tang of iron blood carried, and suddenly everything seemed to have fallen back in place.

Will's hands were swift to go to his now four times broken nose as he stumbled backwards, this time falling on his sorry arse. Robin was surprised to hear a few shy chuckles from their peasant filled audience, but his eyes never left Will, sitting there, whining about his aching nose.

What a long way the pair of them had come. And to think that once they had robbed together the castle in which Robin now lived.

"I deserved that." Will was speaking again, he had fallen relatively near to where Robin stood, so his words were only heard by him. His tone had changed, he sounded defeated, as if for the first time, he was actually speaking the truth.

"Finally something we can agree on" Robin gave back to him feeling an odd relief inside his chest.

The neighing of a horse broke their moment and Robin spun on his heel only to find the Queen already mounted on _his_ horse, Angus, the strange blueish steed, whilst soldiers opened up the way for her to pass. Her eyes found his and she stroked the side of Angus' head before giving him a small smirk, which he took as a challenge since the next moment the steed was neighing again whilst she rode off.

Robin acted upon impulse, going to the nearest horse, even though he knew none of those beasts were ever going to be able to catch up with Angus, and started unloading baskets of food and provisions it carried, if anything, it would make the horse go faster.

He felt a presence beside him when he was finished, but chose to ignore Will and got on the horse. When he finally looked down at his former brother, Will spoke again, his words carried that strange truthfulness again, "I don't think ya need to go after 'er," he scrunched his face and was reminded of the broken part of it, but continued, "I think she can 'andle 'erself on 'er own, mate."

Robin simply huffed at Will's commentary, but something inside him felt warmer and strange, the thought of her brought on strange sensations he had deemed it impossible for him to feel again, "I know that," Robin finally replied, "But now she doesn't have to anymore."

…

**Penny for your thoughts**


	22. Ghost from the Past

**I said I wasn't giving up! **

**Guys! I'm so sorry for this delay, it has been months, I know, but the important thing is that the new chapter is finally here! I hope you guys enjoy it ;) **

…

Regina rode hard, with a wave of her hand, she had transformed the red dress she had been wearing into clothes fit for riding and most definitely not fit for a Queen, but at that moment, she did not care.

Rumpelstiltskin's words would not leave her alone ever since the moment he had disappeared in cloud of dark smoke. As soon as he had, she had mounted Rocinante and made her hasty way back to her castle.

_Love is weakness indeed_, he had laughed at her face, mocked her.

Regina felt her heart grow cold as ice with fear and insecurity.

_It could not be true_, she told herself.

The imp was clearly trying to get to her, trying to make her feel weak again.

She knew she was not capable of nurturing tender feelings for anybody, aside from father, of course, but even with him, she was harsh and unkind. The Regina who had once loved was dead, what was left was incapable of love, that ability had been taken away from her little by little, year after year, ten years being married to Leopold had done the trick. The overwhelming privation of freedom, the lack of being able to say what she wanted, and having to play house with Snow – the one responsible for all this – plus the hole her one true love Daniel had left in her heart, had _destroyed _her.

The King had caged her and Rumpelstiltskin had taught her tricks, Regina had been but an act for so long, in the process, she felt as if she lost her soul little by little.

Regina urged Rocinante to go faster, feeling the wind of late autumn on her face as the exchange between her and the unnerving imp would not leave her be.

_You and that pickpocket do not fool me for a second, _he had said.

But what did _he_ know? He knew nothing of her, nothing of Robin and how could he-

_Gods, Robin._

She saw his silhouette at a distance but somehow _knew_ it was him, she could feel their connection from a distance. She kicked Rocinante's side and trotted towards him, to the sight that seemed unreal and yet, with every blink of her eyes, would not go away. When she reached him, she quickly dismounted her mare; her eyes huge at what she saw.

If Regina's heart had been ice cold with apprehension because of her confrontation with the imp, it stopped all together when she took in the scene before her.

Robin was unconscious, his back slouched against a tree trunk, his lips chalky and his complexion pale, in his grasp, a bottle containing very little amber liquid, Regina quickly spotted an empty twin not too far away. Given his horrid state, she could only guess where the contents of those bottles were at the moment.

If it was not bad enough that he looked like he had the plague, what she saw when she looked up was much, _much_ more distressing. A dark cloud loomed over his head, but the substance was not exactly gassy, it seemed to be a strange mix of liquid dark goo and sparkly smoke. Robin had his brow creased and his lips moved a little, it was quite clear that, whatever that cloud was doing, it was not in any way pleasant.

The sight brought goosebumps to Regina's arms, she took one step forward and felt a strong wave of power, dark, ancient power, hit her, as if telling her to back off. She was still a few feet away from him, out of his eye shot, and even though the dark force told her to go away, she did not such thing.

Regina stood her ground; looking intently at the dark cloud, trying to read it, figure out what kind of magic it held. All she knew was that it felt ancient and powerful, and also that it did not like her presence there at all.

She was trying her hardest not to be affected emotionally by the fact that that strange cloud was probably doing something far from pleasing to Robin. Regina needed her mind clear of all those confusing things she felt towards him in order to help, but as the cloud grew in size and the outlaw beneath it looked paler and paler – maybe he had turned even a little green – Regina could not help but feel desperation course through her veins.

She took another step, she tried her voice, a failed attempt to saying his name was swallowed by the heavy air around the cloud, but still Regina took another defying step, not knowing what to do exactly, but she had to do _something_.

Regina tried to bring forth her magic, tried to focus on her rage but there was another feeling drowning out the fuel to her magic, _dread_. She screwed her eyes shut and felt hopeless, unable to do anything, trying desperately to tap into her anger, the hate she felt for Snow White, the despise she felt for Leopold, the wrath she felt towards mother, but none of her sizzling magic seemed to want to come out, fear overcame her. Regina found it odd that she could not control her feelings, for she had confronted and defeated far worse things than that strange looking cloud, but for some reason, she could not help but feel terrified, hopeless and helpless.

Her chest clenched and suddenly Regina felt as if something was surfacing, not from her palms – where her magic usually came from – but from the very middle of her chest. When she opened her eyes again, she did not see anything different at first, but a glow from below caught her attention and when her eyes looked towards it, she found a small silver fox staring back at her, its big ghostly eyes quizzical and innocent.

All she had time to do was gasp before the small animal turned its tail on her and headed towards Robin's passed out body. It seemed to traverse the dense air around him with ease and quite simply jumped on his lap and stopped there, staring at the outlaw just like he had at her.

Regina had to blink a few times, her chest was still clenching but the feeling of dread slowly subsiding, the fox remained where it was, as did the cloud and Regina. Not a minute later, Robin stirred and Regina found the strength to take another step.

Robin was clearly under the influence, his head was wobbly, he could barely lift it. He regarded the animal with some interest but then looked above, over his head. Regina felt stuck on the floor, the air still too dense for her to take another step forward, it seemed like the cloud was starting to get agitated, angry even.

Robin moved his lips but only a small grunt came out, something Regina could not make out. At the same moment, the silver fox leapt from his lap towards his head, only to find impulse there to go up the tree trunk in an unnatural move and quite simply throw itself on the dark, unwelcome looking magical cloud.

There was a strange noise, a little like a thunder, and zaps of silver started emerging from the thick dark cloud, an awful shriek came from within it and before Regina could say or do anything, it was gone. It simply disappeared.

Robin's head went limp and Regina found the strength in her legs then to push her feet from the ground and go to him. She was acting upon impulse, her heart beating so fast she felt as if it was going to come out of her mouth, she knelt in order to take a good look at him. His lips were still chalky, but his complexion was starting to gain a little color, unfortunately, the color in question was green.

He groaned and Regina felt like slapping him, why would he do such a thing? Drink himself unconscious; make himself vulnerable enough so that soul-sucking cloud could easily do… whatever it was doing.

Regina took the almost empty bottle from his hand, brought it close to her nose and sniffed. The smell was foul, she could only guess the taste was ten times worse and he had apparently drank almost two whole bottles. _Why on earth would he do such a thing?_

Regina's attentions were snatched by a gleam on his other side; she got to her feet in order to look at what he had on his other hand. It was a dirk, his fingers were still very much holding on to the handle as the rest of the blade had been shoved down on the earth beside him. She looked at the bark of the tree and grazed her fingers at the slashed marks that had been made there, fresh and without a pattern, some deep, some mere scratches.

Her heart rate had slowed down a little, with the eminent threat of the strange cloud gone; she cursed him aloud for having put himself in such a situation as she got to her knees beside him once more in order to inspect his state a little further. However, before she even touched him, her mind took her back to the night before, when he had comforted her, eased her mind, even cared after those two brats had refused her offer. Without thinking, her hand went to his chest and touched where his heart should have been, feeling the electric current between them and her palm heat up at the contact. She felt a strange agony start to build inside her chest; an alien agony she knew did not belong there. Still, she could understand why-

"_No_" his voice came out in a croaky whisper and Regina drew back her hand immediately. Her eyes went wide as he moved only a little, his lips parting again to try and speak, his eyes still shut, "Ma-" he took a breath that resulted in some coughing but Regina was suddenly afraid to touch him, "Marian"

The name came out painfully clear and it hit Regina like an arrow.

_Marian_

His wife's name, the one who was dead, the one Little John mistook her for, the one she had looked like over the past few hours.

_All this was Regina's fault._

She was the one responsible for it, for him having drunk himself into oblivion, made himself vulnerable so any matter of threat might easily take advantage of his state.

She had asked for the shapeshifting spell, the imp had had his share of blame in giving Regina Robin's dead wife's face, but _she_, Regina knew from the start that there had been _something_ terribly wrong with her disguise, but she had chosen to ignore it in favor of getting what she wanted. The result laid in front of her, passed out, having God-knows-what fermenting inside his stomach.

Regina's chest started clenching again, the weight of the guilt she felt was overwhelming. She could not begin to imagine how he must have felt when he saw her carry his dead wife's face and go about her merry way.

_You see my child_, the imp inside her head spoke, _look at what love has done to him_

Regina quickly shooed Rumpelstiltskin's voice from her head but a much stronger one took its place in tormenting her.

_Love is weakness Regina_, the heartless Queen, **mother**, told her, _if it had been the other way round-_

_-I would have died_, that small part of a young woman that remained spoke.

Involuntary tears trailed down her cheeks, as Regina did not know what to do, shame took over.

Her treacherous mind conjured up the image of Daniel, her lost love standing right in front of her. Regina closed her eyes, not wanting to see him, but it was to no avail. His image haunted her mind.

It was not her Daniel who stood there; it was _him_, the thief, _Robin_. The grin gave him away, the depth of his eyes, the way he stood, the graveness he carried in his brow, troubled, tormented, dark, nothing like her Daniel at all.

The image was almost unbearable to look upon, so many feelings erupted all at once Regina felt as if she was going to pass out.

_If this were to happen to you_, her mother started, her voice ever present in Regina's mind.

_You would have been too weak to endure it_, the imp's voice finished.

Regina was on her knees, breathing heavily, with her eyes screwed shut, she felt like her head was going to split in the middle when she heard it.

Robin groaned in discomfort, her eyes shot open, and Regina was brought back to reality. He was still passed out but had started to move and moan, his stomach making the most upsetting noise. She took a deep breath but still the incessant chattering went on and on inside her head.

_Look what you did!_ The young girl moaned.

_Stop this nonsense!_ The Queen whined.

_Is that worry I see?_ The imp mocked

"Leave me be!" Regina nearly screamed.

There was a grave silence after that - only disturbed by Robin's stomach - but Regina could swear she could still hear their breathing; they were all there, they would never leave her be, the imp, the heartless Queen, and the young woman. They were all there waiting for her next moment of weakness so they could torment her.

She exhaled through her mouth and looked back at the passed out outlaw. Regina knew she had to do _something_; she could not very well sit and cry over what she had caused him. However, she did not want to touch him anymore, suddenly she did not feel worthy of the blissful electricity that they shared, she had hurt him, and she found - much to her surprise - that it had upset her, more than that, it had hurt her as well.

So she waved her hand and engulfed them both in her purple magical smoke.

The next moment, they were both back in his chambers, his body laid on top of the not-slept-on sheets as Regina stood at the foot of the bed, looking at him with a strong not in her stomach. Not ten seconds had passed before he came back to life, making an awful noise, arching his back from the bed and promptly wrenching his guts out on the sheets.

It made a horrid mess, spluttering not only on the bed but also on his trousers and boots. Regina knew that even her garbs had not gone untainted by the substance but her hands went instinctively forward in order to do something to help but froze upon seeing the colors the mess had left on the white sheets. There was the expected disgusting yellow from the suspicious brandy, but the color that had caught her eye and made her heart almost stop altogether was _red_.

Blood red.

_Had her magic caused this?_

Regina did not think she could have felt more guilty, but after seeing the red spots on the sheets and inhaling the metallic tang of blood, she forgot how to breathe and took a couple of steps back, afraid of the scene before her. After vomiting, Robin's weight had drawn him back to laying on his back but that was all Regina could register, she was breathing quickly, feeling nervous like she had not for a very long time, if the cloud situation had been awful, this was even worst.

He half-groaned, half-spoke something and Regina took a single step forward but was able to do no more, his face was filthy and a carried a shade of green that worried her. She did not know what to do, healing magic had never really interested her, she had studied only a little of it in the beginning when she still harbored hopes in bringing Daniel back, but after the whole Dr. Frankenstein disaster, she had given up on it all together, avoided it at all costs.

Regina was actually afraid of using her magic on him, for all she knew, the fact that he had vomited blood as well as the amber liquid told her that the magical trip had caused it.

Before she could think of anything else, Regina was out the door, she was not quite sure of what she was doing but one thing she knew for certain, _she needed help_. She stood outside his door, looking at the stone corridor, the walls once adorned with tapestries of Leopold's legacy had been stripped from them, all there was to see was cold, grey stone.

Regina was in great need of help and yet, she trusted nearly no one. One of the only she had come to half trust was inside the very room she had just stormed from.

There were a few other quarters in that corridor but Regina could not very well bang at every door and cry out for help. She was the Queen still, she could not put herself in that situation, the story of her meltdown would spread about the castle like a rash and she could lose the respect she had fought so hard to get.

She was in need of help, but not any help, _magical _help. Regina did not know what had caused for him to be so sick as to the point of vomiting blood but she had a feeling that it had not been just hard liquor. Last she had had magical help, this whole disaster had happened. But who else-

_Mal_

Regina did not know why she had not thought of Maleficent before, she had taught Regina so much in the past, and if she was being completely honest, Maleficent was one of the only friends she had. Plus, the dragon lady had set her on the track of getting that damned apple, surely she would have a solution and-

"Your Majesty?" an elderly voice spoke from behind her.

At first Regina was startled and spun around to meet whoever had disturbed her, but her aggressive words died on her throat when she recognized the familiar face.

"Your majesty, are you quite alright?" he asked, looking at her from head to toe with big enquiring eyes. At first Regina thought his question was due to her choice of clothing but then she remembered there was blood and puke on top of it.

"Quite Butler-" she responded firmly, praying to higher forces that her voice did not break, "Quite."

Butler, her father's valet. The only valet that had remained in the castle as a matter of fact. The man had accompanied her father ever since she had first come to the castle. Half of Butler's hair might have fallen from his head due the course of the past ten years, but if there was one thing Regina knew for certain was that the man was trustworthy, having taken excellent care of her father when he was sick in more than one occasion. Plus, if there was anybody who could be trusted with a secret, it was Butler, since he had been an agent for the army in his youth.

"Butler-" Regina tried not to sound too exasperated, she was going to go about this as a Queen would, "You shall assist Captain Locksley for today." she blurted out, it was supposed to sound like an order but lacked a bit of a bite, Regina's true disposition was ruining her monarch-like speech.

Both Butler's eyebrow went up in surprise and he gave her a simple, "Oh," he nodded, "Is there a special occasion to which I should dress him, your majesty?" he asked in all earnest.

Regina was able to huff out a bitter laugh and gave him, "In the state he's in, he won't be going anywhere for a while." she tried her best to sound indifferent, "Wash him first, he's made quite a mess on the sheets."

"As you wish, your majesty." he bowed his head slightly.

"I have an urgent business to attend to now," she spoke with an air of superiority, "But I expect your job to be as impeccable as ever." she lifted a brow and sneered, "I do not wish for either the premises of my castle or my royal guard to be _damaged_."

"Of course, your majesty." Butler replied with respect.

"Good." Regina gave him and as she was ready puff herself away from that place she spoke again, "Do not-" she lifted a probing finger, "-under any circumstances, tell him I was here."

Regina regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth because they brought a very subtle smile to Butler's lips. She did not want to hear his reply to her statement so she did not wait for it, promptly engulfing herself in purple smoke and commanding that it took her to Maleficent's castle.

...

She did not land where she desired, in her rushed spell, Regina had forgotten that Maleficent's castle was well protected against apparition spells. Therefore, instead of appearing inside the castle's sitting room – where, all those years ago, Regina had first found Mal completely drugged by her own sleeping curse – she found herself a few paces from the imposing doors that led inside.

"Regina?" Maleficent's voice sounded from behind her and Regina cursed herself for being so careless. This was the second time someone sneaked behind her unnoticed in the last five minutes, had her state dulled her senses _that _much?

"Maleficent," Regina turned on her heel to meet the she-dragon's blue eyes, this time however, she found she did not have the will or strength to pretend she was indifferent, "I need your help."

Mal simply smirked, "Of course you do, little dove-" she waved her hand and they were both surrounded by her ancient magic and taken to Maleficent's grand library.

The place looked almost surreal, the walls were so high it seemed as if their height was endless, they were covered in books, centuries worth of books of all kinds. Regina knew Maleficent possessed the most impressive collection in the whole Enchanted Forest, having travelled long and far too many magical realms collecting information on all kinds of sorcery. It was no surprise to Regina when she saw a particular edition of 'The Art of Quidditch' flapping its pages up in the air, flying from one bookshelf towards another.

Unlike Regina's own dim library, this one was well lit by the glow of the late afternoon Sun and a candle chandelier that seemed to be floating above their heads, with no manner of chain attaching it to the ceiling. The ceiling itself wasn't even there, there was no concrete to be seen when one looked up, the vision was a mixture of pinks and blues, a few sparkly dots and a half crescent moon that the sunset painted the sky.

"_But won't your books get wet when it rains?"_ Regina remembered when she had first come into this room, she had been dazzled by what she saw, but could not help but ask that silly question.

Maleficent had laughed, _"Aren't you a funny little thing?"_ she had asked scrunching her nose at Regina.

"_I'm not little!"_ Regina had protested, stomping a foot on the floor,_ "Need I remind you, I'm a Queen."_ she had tilted her chin up trying to sound imposing.

The she-dragon had smirked and given her, "_The Queen of nothing as you yourself put the first time you sought me out._"

Regina had opened her mouth to argue back but could not think of any comeback o that, her words had betrayed her.

"_It's not real."_ Mal had told her, _"The ceiling is enchanted."_

Maleficent's entire castle sizzled with magic, every single time Regina had gone there she could feel the change in the air; it buzzed and hummed with sorcery.

Regina was brought back to the here and now when Maleficent sighed as she made her way about the place. She was not sporting her imposing dragon headpiece but wore her blonde frizzy hair loose and tangled, her dress was a wonder, the dirty pink fabric that clung to Maleficent's body sparkled in a way that made Regina dizzy and enchanted.

Maleficent dropped her derriere com a chaise and giving Regina look of curiosity before saying, "Drink?" she waved her hand and a goblet appeared in her grasp.

Regina felt her bile rise at the mere sight of alcohol but managed to say, "Not interested."

"That's unlike you," Maleficent's brow creased only a little.

"I'm here on business Maleficent." Regina gave her, not wanting to let it show how affected she was.

Maleficent simply huffed and gave her, "You know I don't do business sober, so-" she lifted the glass and brought it to her mouth, and drained the goblet. Regina squeezed the fingers of her right hand with a bit of force as she watched Maleficent drink, she was getting more impatient by the second. When the she-dragon finished, she sighed – content with the taste of the wine – and threw the goblet away, before it could reach the floor, however, it disappeared.

The frown was still on her face when she spoke, "Well sit down Regina." she told her, "You look like you are constipated, my dove."

Regina inhaled deeply through her nose, "I told you not to call me-"

"Just sit down Regina!" Maleficent barked.

For a moment she simply stood where she was, Regina was having one of the most stressful, awful days of her life and it was all because she let herself _care_ for another, what had become of her?

Regina found a chair nearby and sat. She did not have a plan, did not know how to go about this whole negotiation with Maleficent, she could not-

"So-" Maleficent's voice interrupted the chatter inside Regina's mind, "-have you finally come to bargain for that sleeping curse?"

There was a pause, Regina knew she was supposed to respond but found herself to be far too stunned to say anything.

_The curse_.

The sleeping curse for Snow.

She had nearly forgotten, but how could she have? Maleficent had the curse, Regina had promised her to find something worthy so she could exchange it for the curse, and although it had been merely a week since they had that understanding, it felt like an entire decade. Regina had been so enwrapped in all of the absurd things that had happened after she got the apple that she forgot why she had it in the first place.

When met with stunned silence, Maleficent continued, "You may have something that actually interests me."

Regina looked up and saw that Maleficent had sat up straight and was looking at her with intense eyes, eyes that knew what they wanted, not the eyes of a drowsy friend or of a satisfied lover, but the eyes of the enchantress Maleficent was, the magic hungry witch.

"I do?" Regina asked, trying to get her footing back.

"Yes." Maleficent did not blink.

Whatever it was that Regina had and Maleficent wanted, it must have been very valuable.

"We'll just have to see if I'm willing to part with whatever it is that you want." Regina gave her, arching a brow, it was always best to play it difficult with Maleficent at first, if she saw how desperate Regina was, she would most certainly take advantage of it.

"I thought you were willing to do anything to get your revenge on Snow White." Maleficent threw at her, there was a question in her tone, almost like a disbelief.

"I am!" Regina straightened her spine as she felt her blood course hot inside her veins.

"Ah-" Maleficent smirked, "There she is. Now that the Queen has arrived we can start making business." Maleficent waved her hand in the air and after the dark pink magical smoke cleared, the hand in question held a vial containing a dark dense liquid. "What do you say? A curse for a curse. _My_ sleeping curse for _your_ dark curse."

Regina opened her mouth to reply but no words came out. The offer was tempting, to take the Sleeping Curse - that was the key ingredient to Regina's revenge - in exchange for that ridiculous Dark Curse Rumpelstiltskin had given her. The Dark Curse was intriguing, if one wished to escape to another realm, which did not interest Regina on the very least. She did not fathom why she would want to leave behind her kingdom, her power – for she knew it could take her to a land without magic in which she would be stripped of all her power – let alone her father, and Rob-

_Robin_.

This was why she was there in the first place, to get a cure for Robin who was barfing blood because of her. But, what was she going to do? She could not very well exchange the Dark Curse for a vial of healing potion, not when she could exchange it for the weapon that would bring her one step closer towards her revenge on Snow White. Could she?

_What about Robin?_ The young woman inside her head asked,_ Are you going to take your chances with his condition?_

_Who cares about that thief? _The impish voice was back, _Make the trade Regina, get your revenge._

_He makes you weak Regina, _the heartless Queen spoke,_ better get him out of the way_.

_Why chose?_ A dark female voice spoke, that one hardly manifested itself, _Take both. Take control and take both._

"I want both." Regina spoke suddenly.

"Both?" Maleficent looked at her puzzled. Of course, the she-dragon had not been able to listen to the heated discussion inside Regina's head.

"Yes," Regina looked down as she smoothed the fabric of her riding trousers with her hands, "I will negotiate the Dark Curse for a price." she looked up again, her heart beat fast and she felt her face grow warmer, "But I want in exchange for it your Sleeping Curse _and_ a healing potion made out of bezoar."

It was Maleficent's turn to go silent for a moment; she studied Regina and placed two fingers under her chin as she spoke, "Why would you need a healing potion? You know self-healing magic pretty well; I myself taught you how to master it."

"It is for my private collection and also none of your business." Regina shot at Maleficent, trying to get away from answering a question she knew was coming.

"Don't play me a fool Regina-" Mal huffed and leaned back on the chaise, "Bezoar infused potions cannot be stored, they last a couple of days at the most."

"I wish to study it." Regina gave her.

"Liar." Maleficent saw right through her.

There was a grave silence in which both women exchanged defying looks, Mal clicked her tongue and broke it, "It's not a bad bargain, so I will take it." She straightened her posture and continued, "Bezoar may be extremely rare to grow inside the stomach of goats of the Enchanted Forest but I just so happened to have met a rather interesting professor who was quite willing to exchange a very large amount for my mix of sea water and a drop of sleeping curse." She gloated, Regina remembered when they had first met and Mal was practically addicted to the mix herself, "The alcohol wasn't keeping his ghosts away, he needed something stronger."

Regina felt a sudden chill up her spine and could not help but ask, "What became of him?"

"He died." Mal gave her without emotion, "Got half his neck ripped off by a gigantic snake."

Regina swallowed, at least her neck as well as Robin's was still quite in place. There was not anything she could or should say about that matter, so she rolled her shoulders back and asked, "So we have a deal?"

"Yes, we do, little dove." Regina made a face, but before she could protest, Maleficent went on, "But since we're exchanging two for one, I want a little something else from you." she looked amused now.

"What else could you want?" Regina asked impatient.

"An answer-" Maleficent smirked, "Who is the potion for?" Regina made it to reply but Maleficent held up one finger and continued, "You'd better tell me the truth, or else the bezoar won't work."

Regina felt downright annoyed at how well Maleficent knew her. She saw no way out but to come clean with the information, she could not risk the potion not working.

"Robin"

"Robin?" Maleficent's chilly blue eyes went wide, "Robin Hood? The one that stole my mirror? That one I caught slapping your arse the other day?"

"The very same-" Regina gave her, feeling something warm build up at the mention to that particular day they had nearly defiled Regina's library table, "He doesn't go by Hood anymore, it's Locksley he prefers."

Maleficent let out an amused laugh and Regina rolled her eyes. _Why in all the realms had she said that?_ _Disclosed Robin's preference in what to call him? What was she thinking? _

"He prefers?" Maleficent mimed her words, "You've grown quite attached to your boy toy Regina."

"He's not my boy toy, I-" Regina started but when she saw the look of knowingness on Mal's face she chose to simply stop speaking, any word Regina said might betray her true feelings, "He's the captain of my personal guard."

"Didn't know you cared _that_ much for your personal staff." Maleficent threw at her.

"I don't, I cannot have my staff ill when I-" Regina tried to justify her actions but she was pretty sure she wasn't even convincing the chair she was sitting on, let alone Maleficent.

"Regina-" Mal interrupted her, "-so what?" she waved her hand carelessly. "You care, that's no crime."

"I-" Regina was completely out of words, she wanted to deny it but she could not.

"I myself have been indulging-" Maleficent lifted one eyebrow.

"Who is it?" Regina could not help but ask.

"That's the thing!" Maleficent laughed, "I don't know!"

"How?"

"We only meet in dragon form." she smiled at Regina and suddenly she looked so young it was almost alarming, "It's safer that way."

Regina blinked a couple of times thinking of how much easier her life would have been if she could simply hide her lover's identity like Maleficent did.

"Just don't let your enemies know of it my dove." Mal spoke while she rose from her seat and looked down at Regina who was sat very still looking up at her only friend. She placed two fingers under Regina's chin and finished, "Most of all, that disgusting imp Rumpelstiltskin, that one is made from the devil's cloth."

Regina only had time to swallow; remembering how Rumple already knew there was something different going on in between Robin and her.

Maleficent turned her back on her and stalked towards one of the bookcases. Her lips were a mere inch from the spine of one of the books and she whispered something Regina could not make out. She withdrew her face and the book levitated from the bookcase, opening itself up, in its very middle there was a pebble-sized rock, the bezoar. As she studied the bezoar, she extended her right arm to the side, turned it 180 degrees and closed her fingers one by one, as if telling something to come her way.

Indeed, not long after, a green vial came floating her way as she took the bezoar in her palm. She extended the hand and the green vial tipped right on top of the bezoar, dropping its shimmery lime green contents on the rock. Instead of making a mess, Maleficent made beautiful magic to witness, the stone seemed to drain all the liquid and started to change color, it went from a boring dark grey to a strong forest green. Maleficent then used her other hand to create a vial for the mix just as it was turning liquid. Her timing was perfect and right before Regina's eyes, she had the cure for whatever it was that Robin had.

Maleficent looked up from her creation and asked, "Do you have your curse?"

...

Regina could not complain, she left Maleficent's castle with much more than she had originally hoped for, a strong potion that would help heal Robin's stomach and the curse that would turn her revenge into reality.

She found it odd that she did not feel a drop of joy, only agony and guilt, the image of Robin passed out and vomiting blood would not let her be. Plus, having had Maleficent tell her that it was not all that bad, caring for someone, was on itself completely contradictory and utterly confusing. Although Regina had to remember that Mal had never preached to her that love was weakness.

When she puffed herself back to Robin's chambers, it was already nighttime; the room was illuminated by a small candelabrum that rested on top of the dresser, and also by a single candle that burned on the nightstand. With the new lighting, a soft orange, it almost looked like a different place altogether. Butler was sat on the stool by the bed, and ever so gently patted Robin's forehead with a wet piece of cloth. The outlaw looked awful; he was still unconscious and laid on his back. His skin looked inflamed with fever; Regina could barely look at him without feeling pins in her chest.

"Your majesty." Butler bowed his head slightly but continued his work.

"Butler." She acknowledged him.

"I have done as you commanded, your majesty." Butler explained as he brought the cloth from Robin's forehead to dip it inside a water basin, "He is clean, although it took me a while since he vomited twice more in the process of getting to the tub." Regina looked down at the carpeted floor to see the trail of vomit and blood Robin had left behind. "I had the maids change the sheets and the mattress, but they will come back for the floor as soon as I'm able to get his fever down."

Regina waved her hand and the yellow and red mess was gone from the floor, "No need." She spoke without sentiment, "You have done well, Butler. You may go."

"But your majesty, he's still-" Butler tried to protest in the politest tone known to mankind.

"I will deal with him from now on." She interrupted the man, not letting it show how anxious she truly was to simply shove that potion down the Robin's throat.

Butler looked concerned but said nothing more – if Regina was playing her part well, he would think that she was to punish Robin for having put himself in that situation, but what Butler thought or not, she would never know. He carefully placed the damp cloth on the thief's forehead, bowed his head towards Regina – who stood a few feet away from the bed – and made his way to leave the room.

"You will be back in the morning to attend to him." She spoke again just as the man had passed her by, she did not turn around to face him, her eyes were fixed on Robin's figure. "And remember-" she turned her head to the side so Butler could see half her face, "-I was never here." She finished.

"Yes, your majesty." He gave her and left.

Regina waited for the door to close, for the click of the doorknob and for the sound of Butler's steps to disappear before she moved. She slithered her hands to her coat's pockets, a potion in each one of them, one lethal while the other was the complete opposite. She was careful to take the right one, the forest green mix infused with bezoar, as she made her way towards the bed.

She knelt on the floor just beside the bed and regarded him, wary and afraid with the weight of shame still heavy in her chest. Butler had done his job well, the outlaw was clean, none of the horrid stench had remained, the covers concealed his lower body while his upper one bore a long sleeved sleeping shit.

Regina could not remember the last time she been in a situation like this, kneeling beside a sickbed, looking after someone. When she came to think about it, maybe she had never done it before, even so, she took the wet cloth from his forehead and deposited it inside the water basin, her hand touched the reddened skin of his face, and it was warm and clammy.

Butler was right, he had a fever, but from the looks of it, the old man had managed to bring it down with his treatment, but Regina was not going to take any chances. She took a deep breath and lifted herself from her knees.

Robin was sound asleep, from what she could tell, he could not see or hear her. His breathing was deep, and he would never know she had been there.

_He could never know._

Regina had to give him the potion, she figured it would be easier if she simply used her magic to lift his head and made him swallow the contents of the vial. But she wasn't going to do that. She was not going to use magic on him, not even a simple levitation spell; magic is what had caused this whole disaster in the first place.

And so, the only thing that was touched by magic were her boots, that she made disappear with a wave of her hand. Regina sat on the edge of the bed on the opposite side in which the outlaw laid feeling nervous and awkward. All this was extremely alien to her, her heart was hammering fast inside her chest, suddenly Regina felt young and raw.

_You did this, you evil woman!_ The young woman accused her, whispering in Regina's ear, _Just like mother._

Regina's eyes watered against her will but she refused to shed those tears, she figured she had better do what she had to do and leave. She turned to face him completely and lifted his head ever so gently, managing to situate herself where his head had been, the sheets beneath her damp with his feverish sweat. Regina then lowered his head onto her lap and he coughed once, giving her a start, but remained asleep. The whole process took a little bit of work but Regina was adamant that she was not using magic, not for this.

She ran her fingers about his wet hair, feeling the zaps between them intensify, they felt different, as if some of her energy was being transferred to him. She then brought the very tips of her fingers to touch his cheeks until they reached the prickliness of his stubble. The buzz was ever present and soothing, and Regina felt herself relax a little with the strange exchange between them. She had never registered before how there were so many different shades of blonde in his beard, the mixture looked attractive and bonny in the candle light, but it wasn't until she saw his lips, still chalky and pale, that Regina was shaken back to reality and drew her hand away.

_Just give him the potion Regina!_ The stronger womanly voice screamed in her head.

She reached for the vial, which she had left on the nightstand, removed the stopper, and immediately her senses were invaded by the strong scent of bezoar.

_Get it over with! _The voice insisted.

Regina did not think twice before she forced the glass vial against his half-closed lips, "Drink it, you drunken baboon!" she muttered, as she tried to make him drink the potion. His eyes were a little opened but out of focus, and Regina had to resource to holding his nose so the only way he could breathe was through his mouth.

It took a few seconds, but suddenly, his mouth was opening, in desperate search of air, Regina took her chance and managed to make him drink half of the potion, half would do quite well. The coughed a little but did not seem to be conscious, there was a mighty noise that came from the depths of his stomach, and if that was not enough, he closed with a burp that would bring many an ogre to shame.

Regina felt a little sick at the display and muttered more to herself, "Animal, doesn't even know how to drink, it's not my fault that you got so pissed drunk…"

As soon as the words left her lips, Regina felt the pins in her heart again; she looked down at his face, in that strange haze of guilt and care. Had guilt been the only reason why she had almost moved mountains to see him healthy again? Regina knew the answer to that question; it burned her from inside out.

This man, the man she had hurt, the former thief, he had managed to touch her in a way she did not even think was possible, had managed to break some bricks of the tall wall she had built around herself. He saw _her_, as she was.

_And that terrified Regina._

Regina's fingers found his cheek and she spoke again, this time her tone had changed completely, "It actually was, wasn't it?" she let out a wee humorless laugh, feeling her chest tighten as she could register the skin under her fingers breaking the fever. "I'm sorry." She said simply and licked her lips. Regina was nervous all of a sudden, her other hand found his and closed about it, squeezing a little while the tip of her index finger found his lips, the buzz in between them strong and undeniable.

She was startled back to reality when he actually spoke, "Regi-" his lips moved under her finger and for a moment Regina was frozen, his eyes were half-open, he tried again, "_Regina_"

Regina gasped and let go of his hand, his eyes were starting to gain focus again, the blue orbs she would not be able to look into without feeling shame started to come to life. But before he could register her completely, Regina was gone, had disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke, leaving him alone to think this had been merely a dream.

…

Regina felt like shit, there was no better way to convey how she felt. Guilt was eating her alive and she had to do something to rid herself from feeling that awful agony. She had considered ripping her own heart out again, but she knew it would not work, for even without her heart, she was still able to have feelings towards him, she had felt more than she wanted all those months ago at the Royal Engagement Ball, why would it be any different now?

She ultimately decided, that very night after having given him the potion - which would heal any internal damage magic or liquor had caused him - that she would dive head first into the pursuit of Snow White. With the sleeping curse in her grasp, now the only thing left to collect was the girl herself. Her simmering hate for that brat still pumped lively inside her veins; surely, Regina would forget her guilt in the face of seeing that her vengeance was completed.

Substituting guilt for rage was not as easy as Regina had first expected, she wanted, at first, to pin the blame on someone else but it ultimately it always fell on her, on her own selfishness and her disregard. The imp had his share of guilt but had she not tried to torment him with false tales about his beloved, there was a probability that he would not have performed the shapeshifting spell as he had.

_This was on her, and it ate her alive._

That was why Regina had decided that this time she would be joining the hunt of Snow White. No more scouts were to be send out, Regina planned to march with her knights and catch the damned girl in person. Her mind would not have time to ponder upon anything but her bloodlust, her revenge for herself and for Daniel.

Plus, the idea of catching Snow herself, with her own bare hands, imprison her in the very castle she had grown up in, wrap her hands around the girl's neck and make her believe that Regina was indeed going to kill her only to let her live at the last moment, to torture the girl on and on until she felt like giving her the poisoned apple, made Regina's heart stammer with excitement.

_The girl would pay, she had to pay._

For the next few days, she had been able to keep her worries for the thief at bay, talking strategies, meeting with her men in order to prepare for departure, while _he _still recuperated in his chambers under the watchful eye of Mr. Butler. Butler would keep her informed, sending discreet notes to her chambers every evening retelling of Robin's condition.

After she had learnt that he had woken and was able to stand, walk and piss on his own, Regina had called on him. The last thing she wanted in the world was to actually see him but she had very little choice, he was the captain of her personal guard after all, and, as much as it pained her to admit, the only one on her side who knew everything about where a fugitive would hide in the Enchanted Forest.

She had thought about ripping her heart out, just for that meeting, but she decided against it at the end. Regina would just have to be strong, cold and build a fortress around her heart in order for him not to see through her true disposition.

When their first meeting finally came to pass, Regina did not know how to act or how to speak to him, she had summoned him but had no plans as to how she was going to treat him. She knew she could not bring herself to be disdainful as she usually was, nor could she find the courage to banter with him.

When he walked into the throne room and his strong accented voice reached her ears, Regina felt her face heat up instantly.

"You summoned me?" he had asked, his voice and whole demeanor had been cold throughout the entire meeting and even though Regina felt her heart shrink with sadness and guilt, she gave back at the same coin, being direct and impersonal, putting on the mask of the diplomatic Queen she had not worn in the longest time.

Regina could not help but feel even worse then than she did before, his attitude towards her only confirmed that she had hurt him, she really had wounded him, and not with her usual physical violence or cross words, but with something that truly injured him, which, for some strange reason, hurt her, opened up a festering hole in her chest.

To make things worse, she had to see him every other day in order to make sure her hunt was being planned to perfection. She managed to develop a few techniques in order for those meetings not to bring her down so much; she was polite - which was rare of her to be - and succinct, would seldom look in his eyes and always kept her distance. The buzz between them was still there, it found its way to her through the air when he was in her presence, but she had not felt the true intensity of it ever since the day she had given him the potion.

She wished she could say that time flew but it did not, three torturous weeks passed like this, the coldness and strange formality between them was constant but the hunt was planned successfully.

Regina decided to leave on the first day of winter to go after her stepdaughter. She figured she needed to, first and foremost, show her people who their Queen was and who exactly they were dealing with. That they could be on her side and profit much from the alliance, that Snow White was no true leader but a brat, a spoiled girl who deserved to be punished for her crimes.

At first, everything went according to plan when Regina and her handpicked men arrived at the village she had been to all those three weeks ago in disguise. The people had bowed and her speech was strong and certain, even though, deep inside, she felt insecure and quite scared, after all, that moment was crucial, it would set the tone for everything she did from then on, it had to be _perfect_.

The peasants were marveled by the golden coins that had fallen from the skies, Regina herself had to admit that that had been pretty bewildering magic, she had allowed herself to bask a little in the magical sight of the make believe coins descending slowly from the trees tops, their shimmer almost hypnotizing to her. The moment had been broken when she met _his _eyes, those blue enquiring orbs she could not face, they made her heart stop cold and reminded her that she was not only there to do tricks and please her people.

Her magic transformed the golden coins into small fireballs, and people despaired, but Regina had to show them she was not there to play and that there would be consequences to aiding Snow White, deadly consequences.

"However-" she met the gaze of the peasants around her, "-if I find out _anyone_ in this village, has helped the bandit Snow White-" her voice sounded clear, even the sobs of the children had subsided, "-they will suffer dearly."

Regina had thought long and hard on how she was going to show her people what aiding Snow would get them. She had ultimately decided that the best way to convey that was by making an example out of one of Snow's most outspoken supporters, that old bag Granny. All of the dark voices inside her head had agreed and yet, that annoying young woman would not cease to argue that Granny had seen something else in Regina's eyes when she spoke of Robin.

She had to fight with her heart, contradict her gut and go by the book mother had taught her, love is weakness and out of all the things Regina wanted to convey that day, weakness was not one of them.

Chains were wrapped tightly around the old woman's body but Regina took no pleasure in torturing her, she had to school her features and put that meaningful conversation she had had with the woman she was going to murder three weeks prior at the back of her mind, in a very forgotten corner so she could not access it.

_The Evil Queen did not love, the Evil Queen was not weak. _

Regina wrapped her hand around the old woman's throat and began to squeeze, she felt her dark magic run about her fingers as her grip got stronger and stronger, she was almost blinded by her rage, the woman had spat on her feet, the woman had aided that brat, _she would pay_.

But she didn't, a flash of irritating blue magic blinded Regina for a few seconds and she felt the throat slip from her fingers.

"Beware of the evil one-" Regina almost burst with anger when she recognized the Blue Fairy's voice coming out of the old woman's mouth, "For even if she wears a crown and makes promises of riches, she _lies_. Snow White is an innocent and the one who points the finger, the real sinner."

But of course! How could Regina have been so stupid not to think that Snow was getting help from that annoying mosquito? It made perfect sense, it explained her fast recovery from Robin's first attack - that had been rather violent, Regina had seen through her mirror how he had slashed the girl's face with Daniel's dagger - and how she had been managing to escape Regina's every attempt to capture her.

"Silence!" Regina had screamed so loud that all manner of noise ceased.

Regina could feel the raging fire of ire burn inside her, how dare that mosquito speak to her like that? How dare she ruin Regina's moment of glory?

"Come to the flame then, _moth_!" she spoke while she held a fireball in her palm, she knew she was sounding quite unbalanced but at that time, Regina could not control herself, "Or are you too scared to face me in person? Are you going to keep on hiding behind that wolf's skin?"

"I do not fear you, your majesty," the glue pest dared to defy her, Regina felt like bursting into flame.

"But you should-" Regina shot her way, knowing that that would catch Blue's attention at the very least and erase that look of _goodness _from the old coot's face, "-because I know of what you did to Rapunzel and I'm going to make it my _business_ to learn why."

It worked, Granny's tired eyes shot open but Blue's voice spoke instead, "What have you done?"

"I-" Regina screamed so hard her throat caught, "I ended her misery!" she did not care if she was looking like a crazy person, that insect had the nerve to defy her, after what she had done to the sodding blind woman, "Which is exactly what I'm going to do with this old werewolf puppy of yours-"

Now she felt no hesitation when she held up the fireball, its target, the old lady's face, she was going incinerate that woman, she did not care anymore of what she had said to Regina when she thought she was someone else.

The fireball left her grasp but never reached its destination, Granny disappeared before Regina's deadly magic could reach her and she screamed in rage so loudly she momentarily lost her voice, hot tears of anger pooled inside her reddened eyes.

She took a deep breath and looked around her, people and guards alike looked absolutely terrified and perplexed, she stole a glance at the outlaw who carried a grave expression, serious but not unfeeling. It was then that she went back to her normal senses, she breathed heavily, she had exerted herself in her confrontation and all that it got her was a mighty headache and empty hands.

Even more than that, after that small demonstration of complete lack of control over her emotions, Regina did not manage to get even the given names of the peasants, let alone information about Snow White.

And so, a week dragged on, a week filled with dead ends and unwelcome glances. The story of her outburst had spread like a rash around every corner of her kingdom, Regina was constantly met with looks of suspicion and fear, people would hide in their houses instead of paying the rightful respects to her very presence in their village. The few information they got was as good as nothing and Regina was losing her patience, she did not want to take extreme measures, but it seemed as if it was the only way to get what she wanted.

They camped, she preferred the quietness of the woods instead of the comfort of the noble estates offered her, she could not abide to those people, she figured if she lost her temper, given the amount of stress she was under, she would most probably end up murdering her hosts.

...

Regina could not sleep, this whole situation was a disaster and she felt humiliated at the way things had played out, and most of all, she felt so utterly alone she was nearly sobbing.

She had already retired to her tent that night, which appeared to be grand on the outside but was really just large enough to fit her cot and her belongings, the rest of the size was all protection spells. But even though she knew she was safe from any magical and non-magical threat, Regina felt the weight of loneliness on her shoulders, she could not take it anymore.

_She needed him._

She would have to look past her pride and all that horrid shame because she _needed _him.

She placed a disillusionment spell on herself, not wanting for any of her soldiers to see her in such a state nor to have anyone follow her, and went into the woods to find him, she had noted he did not stay with the other men, but chose to seclude himself deeper in the forest.

_Old habits died hard_, she guessed.

He was asleep when she found him, the buzz between them had guided her to find him, she was still some feet away from him but was sure that he was asleep, with his back resting against a tree trunk and a frown upon his forehead.

Out of the blue, he shot to his feet, dirk in hand and full alert, Regina could feel the waves of caution emanating from him, he was truly a born thief, a man so in sync with his environment that he could surprise or get past by anyone.

She approached him nonetheless, she was not afraid of him, She actually wasn't in wary of what he might do to her with that blade but most definitely dreaded the way he would meet her eyes. As she got closer, Regina could not help but feel the gooseflesh rise in her arms due to their connection, it was so strong it mocked her. He was very much aware of her presence, she stood right in front of him and his blue eyes seemed to stare daggers back at her, which made it very difficult for her to lift the spell that made her invisible.

She did not know what possessed her to touch his face like that, but before she knew it, her fingers met his cheek. He closed his eyes and exhaled in a sigh, she lifted the spell from herself then.

When she withdrew her fingers, his eyes opened once more, blue and dark, Regina could not contain herself anymore, "This isn't working." her voice was low and watery, she did not expect to sound so fragile.

"What isn't?" he asked her, his voice a little more than a whisper.

How could she possibly convey everything that was wrong in one answer? Regina was silent for a moment before she gave him, "_Everything_" and looked deep inside his blue eyes in search of some guidance, _something_.

She managed to bask in the blue for a few seconds before she remembered of what she had done to him, Regina looked down at her feet, she could not look at him. There was a moment of silence and knew she had to say something, she had to-

"That insect ruined everything!" her voice came out angry and frustrated, "We almost had them, Robin!" his name felt bittersweet in her tongue, she continued, "They were _mesmerized_ with the gold."

Regina had been certain that the gold would have made the peasants join her side, she had been so wrong, those were Leopold people, and just like their King, the people were righteous and daft.

She turned her back on him and started pacing, her heart starting to beat fast as she remembered the episode with the incarnated blue bug. She spun on her heel to face him again, "But that _bug_ just had to be there! She-"

"She's clearly got the girl under her wing." Robin spoke, this time with clarity.

Regina paused for a moment, a little surprised to hear his voice, if that made any sense, she broke the silence, "Oh please, Blue's wings are so small they could not even cover Snow's obnoxiously big head." She could not help but huff out a laugh at what she had just said and saw a smile grown on the outlaw's lips and Regina felt her heart grow warm with the sight.

But as everything good in Regina's life, it lasted but a few seconds, the grin dropped from her lips as she continued, "It was foolish of me to think they would help. The people will never love me as they did that _imbecile_ Leopold."

"Since when do you care about _love_?" he asked her bluntly.

His words hit her hard, Regina felt her entire body tense up but she was able to reply, "_I don't._" as she rotated her shoulders and straightened her spine, she was not weak, love would not make her weak, she was not weak, "But, with their love comes their _trust_, something I could really use right now." She reasoned, "They look at me as if I'm an abomination they want absolutely nothing to do with. I can see the rebellion in their eyes, they are on _her_ side, I know it."

She felt defeated and awful confessing all this to him, his answer to her words took her by surprise.

"Were you going to kill that woman?" he inquired, his tone having changed to something more serious.

"What woman?"

"The old woman from the first village, the one you wrapped in magical chains, _Granny._" he explained.

"I-" Regina paused to think, but then quickly added, "Yes! Of course I was, that was the whole point-" she started to reason but he cut her.

"Then next time, _get_ to the point." he spoke in all seriousness pointing a finger at her. "Show them what Snow White is really up against." he started to get closer to her and Regina felt her face grow warm, "Don't hold back, don't _hesitate_. Show them the lengths you are willing to go to get what you want." They were so close then, Regina felt her heart stammer inside her chest at his words and his proximity, "Do to your subjects as you do to your army, failure means _death_."

He looked deep inside her eyes and placed his hands on her shoulders before he finished, "If they won't love you, you can _make_ them fear you, Regina."

The silence between them was dense as Regina took in all that his words meant. She would have to go an extra mile, she would have to have to make a show of power that would terrify the people enough to never rebel, never contradict her, just like she did with her army. She placed her hands on his elbows and felt the delightful buzz between them run free, and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

However, it was no good, her mind soon caught up with the situation and Regina felt a pang in her chest as a voice whispered in her ear, _You're not worth this._

She knew she was not.

Her hands were working on their own accord as she pulled his own away from her and asked him, "Why are you helping me?" Because why would anybody ever help her? Why would anybody care? She knew she was not worthy of attention or care, and yet, she needed it, she needed it from him of all people. Her voice was a mere whisper when she finally said, "I don't deserve this."

She took a couple of steps back and turned to leave, thinking of how she shouldn't have come, how him helping her was only making her feel even more guilty about hurting him.

"_Don't leave._" He called her out, his voice stopped her on her tracks, it had never sounded like that before, he had once been gentle, but this time, it was almost like _plead._

"What's wrong, Regina?" he was standing before her and Regina felt her chest burn with guilt, she looked downward and had to ask herself if she could utter the words.

"I did not know it was her," they came out small and simple. She could sense him shift uncomfortably in front of her, she tried to continue, "Robin, I-" but her words failed her, the ache in her heart was making it impossible for her to speak, the voices in her head told her she was weak.

"Yes?" he asked softly.

"I-" she went for it again, taking a deep breath, shutting the voices down and hoping for the best. She took one of his hands in both hers and spoke, "I am _truly_-" she swallowed, "-sorry about-" she was so nervous her thumbs started working on their own accord and caressing the back of his hand in a frenzy.

"For putting you through-" there was a huge lump of Regina's throat and she could not put together a single sentence, her cheeks burned with shame and embarrassment, she felt exposed. She squeezed his hands and just let it out, "_I'm sorry._"

Silence filled the gap between them and Regina looked intently down at her feet, she could not look at him, not after everything she had done, most certainly not after _this_. She had apologized, which was something she did not do, _ever_. Oddly enough, she knew she would have felt humiliated if the apology had been to directed towards anyone else, but for him it was different.

"I can't say that it was pleasant." he broke the silence and Regina felt she could breathe again, "It was one of the most daunting things I ever saw in my whole life."

Her entire face was flushed by this point, the harsh truth of her actions hurt, "I could only imagine-" she whispered more to herself thinking of the reverse situation, of Daniel standing before her wearing Robin's grin.

Regina continued to speak, her eyes still cast down, "I regret doing so many things in my life." A traitorous tear fell from her eye on the back of his hand, "But this-" she squeezed his hand once more, trying to convey how she felt, how sorry she truly was, "I still have not been able to forgive myself, I can't look you in the eye."

After letting that out, Regina seemed to be unable to control her tongue and went on, feeling her chest get a little bit lighter as she confessed, "I look at you and I'm reminded of that haunted look you gave me, and how I didn't _care._" Her voice caught in her throat but she continued, "-even though I _knew_ there was something wrong."

"It was not your fault Regina." he told her, his voice laced with compassion.

"Then why do I feel I need your forgiveness?" the question came out unauthorized.

She gasped when his fingers touched lightly at her chin, lifting it so she would look at him. His brow was creased but his eyes were strangely gentle, he stared at her with a different air, something had changed, shifted between them.

"_Forgiven_." the simple word slipped from his lips and it felt like ambrosia to Regina's soul.

She could hardly believe that he had just said that, she blinked a few times, thinking this an illusion, but he remained there, his eyes shining with something new, the tears she had been holding back slipped down her cheeks.

"Truly? Just like that?" she found herself asking, terrified of his answer.

He opened up a smile that lit up something warm inside her when he mimed her words, "Truly. Just like that."

Those words seemed to trigger something inside Regina, one moment she was staring at him, gap faced at his attitude and the next she was on him, but doing something they rarely did, actually, doing something _she _rarely did. Her arms found their way around his neck and Regina hugged him feeling the electric current between them increase and, thankfully, his own arms wind around her waist and hold her.

Regina felt warm and safe in his embrace, like the world outside could not harm her, as if something extraordinary watched over her, sheltered her from all that tormented her, even the voices had ceased to whisper in her head. She could not deny it any longer, he had grown on her, managed to snake his way into her heart and even though her shame had kept her from seeking him out, she had missed him, longed for his presence, for his company, for his touch. And now, sunk in his embrace, Regina finally felt right, after all those weeks of obsessing about this journey, she could finally breathe easy and tranquil. He was there and she was home.

_That was home_

Regina's head was screaming at this reveal, but she did not budge from the embrace. Yes, their relationship was volatile, completely unpredictable - mostly because of her - so she decided that at this moment, the voices telling her that love was weakness did not exist, and pretended, just for a little while, that she was young again, barely 18 and filled with dreams.

He kissed the top of her head and Regina's heart fluttered inside her chest, she moved her head, resting it on the crook of his neck and whispered against his skin, "_Thank you._"

Their moment of quietness, however, was broken by a strange light that forced them to get back to the here and now, and draw their weapons. He had tried to protect her, stepping in front of her in order to shield her, and although Regina found it in herself to see care in his attitude, she was not one to stand idly by in the face of danger.

But when she was able to see the intruder clearly, she paused, unsure of what to do. The silver fox looked back at her and the outlaw without much distress due to the weapons that were drawn against it. She had seen that animal before, it had been the one that had saved Robin from the strange black cloud all those weeks ago, and still, Regina had mixed feelings, could not help but be suspicious.

The fox suddenly leapt, but Regina did not attack it, the animal sprung in between them and disappeared in the darkness of the woods.

"What on earth was that?" Robin broke the silence.

_Indeed_, Regina wondered. She cursed herself for having been so wrapped on planning this blasted hunt she had not looked into that particular creature. It was most certainly a magical type of animal, she had heard of creatures that could be produced by spells in order to shield an individual, but that was wand magic-

"I'm not quite sure-" she gave him, "But I might have an idea-" her mind racing with possibilities.

She wanted to cast this aside as a coincidence, but this was the second time the animal had appeared and she just happened to have been alone with Robin. Her head ached to think of all of the many reasons why this might have happened, she did not need her head hurting after having confessed so much to him.

There was an awkward gap as well as a strange silence between them now, she did not know quite well what to do, the significance of the hug and the confession started to weigh on her and Regina felt a little out of sorts, not ashamed like she did before, but maybe a little- no… could it be? _A little shy_.

If there was one thing Regina was certain of, was that he could not, under any circumstances, know he had managed to make her feel like a shy young woman, so she broke the silence and hoped for the best, "Was that _really_ piss that you drank?"

She was thankful he chuckled at her odd question, Regina herself allowed for a small smile to paint her lips which resulted in a girl-like giggle she was not proud of. He did not answer, instead, his eyes were fixed on her mouth, Regina had an idea of what he was thinking, it had been nearly a month since-

"I shall take your silence as confirmation that you enjoyed it," she spoke again, hoping to ignite the flame of their much-missed banter.

"In my defense, I did not _know_ that it was piss." he defended himself, his accent was strong and it did strange things to Regina's insides, "I just thought it was _really_ bad brandy."

He was such a savage; she could not help but laugh, "You're quite the connoisseur."

"_Connoisseur_?" he had the nerve to imitate her, "What kind of word is that?"

"Animal-" Regina looked at him with interest, thinking of all of the animalistic things they could do, "Whatever _am_ I going to do with you?" she slurred.

"Whatever you want." he gave her and Regina felt her breathing get a tiny bit heavier at his words.

"I'll remember you said that, _thief_" she could not help but step closer and run her hand up from his chest until her fingers reached his lips. Thirty-two days it had been, not that she had been counting, but it had been thirty-two sodding days since her lips had tasted his. When he closed his teeth on the pad of her thumb, Regina felt a warmth down below rumble; she could not hold back a sharp inhale.

Her fingers quickly wound about his stubble and he spoke in a low tone, "Like that?"

"That depends on how many times you washed your mouth after the day you drank piss" she managed to get ahold of the little that was left of her self-control and brought her hand away from his face.

He did not miss a beat and replied, "Who keeps horse piss inside a brandy bottle anyway?"

"Who drinks _anything_ they've found at the stables?" Regina felt ignited by this exchange; she was not just about to let him win this.

"How is it that you know so much about the comings and goings of stables anyway?" he asked her in all fairness of their unspoken battle.

How could he have known that that question would push her down a cliff she had been climbing up for so long?

How did she know so much about stables?

She had spent the happiest and the very worst moments of her life inside a stable.

"_Marry me." she had asked him._

"_Regina, what are you doing?" Daniel was so confused at first but then hopelessly hopeful, "What's happened? Did you tell your mother?"_

"_No, I can never tell her, she won't understand." she tried to reason._

She had gotten engaged to the love of her life inside the stables and, for one night, been so happy with him, cuddled in his embrace after they had made love inside that place, she had been in heaven then. But that had also been the place where she had last seen the sweet spark of his blue eyes, she had to bear witness to when they were extinguished, all that remained were lifeless blue eyes staring back at her, tried to kiss him - _true love's kiss can break any curse _\- but it was to no avail, he was gone. She had closed his eyes, sobbed and clutched his lifeless body, all in the confines of a stable-

"I always enjoyed riding, ever since I can remember." the answer came out of her lips but her words held no sentiment, it was the usual excuse she gave. She could not share this with him, not with anyone, she had never spoken of Daniel to anyone except father, she could not bring herself to speak of him, all she did was for him, for his memory, to avenge his death.

The outlaw would have to be a doorknob not to notice her mood swing, he cleaned her throat and caught her attention but before she could say anything, he took her hand; Regina was far too surprised to react.

"If you _must_ know-" he licked his lips, "A _real_ thief never judges what he has stolen," he told her as he swiftly pulled an emerald ring from her finger, "-_milady._" He had the nerve to bow after this little trick he pulled, Regina was not able to hold back a smile at this.

She waved her hand and the ring was returned to her finger. She did not know how but she did not feel as if falling from that precipice anymore, and asked, smirking, "So it was the thief in you who drank the piss?"

"Well, the thief in me _can_ _be_ quite daft at times-" he gave her and Regina chuckled at this odd, odd man standing before her, "-it is prone to sometimes doing _dangerous_ and _stupid_ things." he then looked down at her lips and his intentions were made oh so very clear.

"How _dangerous_ would you say they were?" she was very much willing to go down that path.

"This thief in me keeps on wanting to steal a particular thing that might get me killed." he confessed dramatically.

It was strange that Regina's mood had shifted so fast but at that moment all she wanted was him, his lips, his touch, she urged him to tell her, while she fisted his shirt in her grip, "What's that?"

He gave a knowing look and said, "I think you know-"

"Enlighten me." she was burning for him.

She thought she had sent the message that she wanted a certain type of action, Regina felt excitement burn on the pit of her stomach for a moment, but he did not act as she expected him to. There was no better way to explain his actions but _tender_, his gentle touch shocked her and turned the fire into butterflies in her stomach, she was without action as he caressed her cheek and closed his lips to her bottom one.

Regina could not hold back a sigh as she responded to the best of her abilities to that sweet caress of his lips.

Before long he broke the kiss and let their foreheads touch, "Glad to see I'm still alive after that act of thievery." he gave her, and Regina was reluctant to admit his humor and kisses were making her heart flutter.

She responded, however, in a tone filled with promise, "Maybe I'm willing to learn to steal a thing or two after this act of burglary."

"The art of stealing kisses is a very ancient and complex one." Regina felt so strange and yet so relaxed in his arms, as if she could do or say anything she wanted, be who she _really_ was.

"I'm sure I can keep up." she threw his way before crashing her lips against his hard.

Sure, she did like the idea of being able to be herself, but the moment she got her true colors out there, she would be bare, no mask to hide behind, Regina was not quite ready for _that_. Maybe once Snow White was under the sleeping curse, maybe then, when the monster inside her was properly fed with Snow's misery and Daniel's death avenged, Regina could indulge in _truly_ being herself.

But at that moment she needed him and ached for his fervent touch, she pulled him to her by the waistband of his trousers, feeling him half hard already against her and kissed his lips as if they were the very air that she breathed. Her hands were under his shirt feeling the thrilling buzz on her palms while he was busying himself with her robe when he suddenly stopped, looking strangely at her nightgown and back at her.

It took her a little to understand his silent question. She did not usually wear clothes when seeking him out and he wanted to make sure it she really wanted _this_. Regina felt her heart skip a beat at this, her breathing caught a little when she took his hand in hers and placed it on her bare collarbone.

"Touch me Robin."

Their lips met in a passionate exchange that only escalated by the minute, his hands worshiped her body whilst her own touched every bit of exposed skin he possessed, that thrilling electricity had been _dearly _missed. Regina's head was light but her body was on fire, his mouth was on her breasts and she momentarily forgot how to breathe, he blew cold air onto the moist peek and Regina felt a shiver run devilishly up her spine.

All of a sudden, there was a shift, he brought his mouth from her breast to the shell of her ear and Regina expected for many a number of things to come out of his mouth, but not what he actually said, "There's someone out there."

She stiffed at once, her moving pelvis against his leg stopped as the words sank in. Regina felt suddenly very exposed, very vulnerable, even in the presence of a psychotic killer who would not hesitate to defend her.

He started to speak again but Regina was not listening, "It's best if we pretend we don't know anything and you transport-" her survival instincts kicked in and before she knew it, they were being transported away from that spot by her magic.

They had landed inside her carriage which she found odd, could not quite comprehend why her magic would bring them there of all places. It did not take long for her to place a protection spell on the carriage, even though they had just been through a slightly stressful moment, there was quite a nice amount of slickness in between her thighs and the thief that had landed on his ass in front of her knew just how to take care of that.

"How did you know there was someone watching us?" she found herself asking him.

"I heard them." He spoke simply.

"Fox ears-" she joked, imagining him sitting on the floor while she sat on the bench, it was quite dark inside the vehicle, "-how fitting." Her tongue clicked and Regina felt desire pool inside her again, his body called to her and she could not care to find any argument against it, not tonight.

They rocked the carriage; they very nearly destroyed the old thing with some rocking of their own. Their bodies met at as one and Regina felt something twist deep within her soul, she had missed him, longed for him and more than one way and then she had him, she felt strange, a happiness and peace she did not think possible for her ever to feel again.

She had exposed herself to him to the point to shame any Queen, and yet she felt no shame, her heart for tonight was filled with many feelings, but guilt was not one of them, not anymore. After they reached their peak, a foolish part of Regina thought that she would be satisfied, that she would have no need for him, that she would be able to simply walk away and sleep blissfully and alone inside her tent.

But when it came to it, Regina could not untangle herself from him, feeling his heated, sweaty skin against her own, his breathing easing out, his hands caressing her naked back, all she wanted to do was melt away in his embrace.

Their sexes were still connected when she commanded her magic to transport the pair of them to her tent, something warm and safe easing her heart and muffing the incessant voices inside her head.

She thought he had fallen asleep for he had not protested to her using magic on him without warning, as he usually did, but as she laid beside him in the comfortable coot she had been spending many sleepless nights on, he stirred and opened his eyes.

Regina turned her head slightly to the side, and took a deep breath, she was trying very hard not to let her rational mind catch up with her actions, all she wanted for that moment was peace, that delicious buzz and him.

The stillness of silence did not last for long, a loud crack broke the barrier of sound and put Regina on alert at once, she rose - only too fast, her head throbbed for a second with pain - and drew the tent's flap with her magic.

Well, they rocked the carriage and managed to break it.

Their laughter filled the tent as soon as the vehicle tumbled dramatically to the side they most probably had been making use of only moments ago. The back of her hand found his stomach and she could feel it move up and down with his chuckling. For that moment, she felt young and carefree, as if her traumas did not exist, as if she had not been manipulated into selling her soul to darkness, Leopold, Snow, Cora only a bad memory, a nightmare she had finally woken up from.

She turned her head to the side to find he was looking at her with a shine to his blue eyes she could lose herself in, Regina found herself smiling and also looking at him, seeing him and never wanting for anything else.

She slept with that easy smile on her lips.

…

Regina felt warm; she felt a gentle motion while consciousness reached her after this night of unperturbed sleep. She hummed in agreement to the warmth that seemed to shield her from the bitter winter outside, and snuggled closer to its source. When she popped one eye open all she could see was dirty blonde stubble and lips, Regina drew her head back a little to confirm that yes, that was indeed the thief she had slept shamelessly snuggled with. Her lips were a bit swollen as she licked them tentatively and took in her current situation, she was laying on her side, one of her arms had found its way around his waist while her legs were tangled in his. She took one deep breath not wanting to over analyze the situation even though her heartbeat was starting to pick up its pace.

_They were lovers_, she argued to herself, _lovers sleep together sometimes_, especially after such _intense _activities.

Regina took another inhale and exhaled relaxed, it was exhausting affirming that this was simply a carnal thing, there was something else between them, she could see it in the glint in his eyes when they spoke, when she opened up to him and - to her utter astonishment - apologized.

Maybe, she could lead things a different way, maybe she could lay her guard low a little with him, in the moments when she had done so and needed him the most, he had proved to be truly concerned and touched. She knew, even though his heart was in a box miles and miles away, that he did feel for her, it was strong and dangerous but maybe, just maybe, things could finally be different for her.

Regina felt her heart flutter a little at the thought.

_Hope is a dangerous thing_, a voice sounded inside her head, but she was not listening. Over the past half hour they tried, all three of them (the young woman was quite content with this arrangement and had kept quiet) tried to convince Regina this was the worse idea she ever had, but she barely heard them as she laid there, with Robin still sleeping soundly next to her. Regina took her time to feel the warmth his naked body provided and inspect every last scar he had showing (he had put on his shirt in the middle of the night, but left it open).

She untangled herself from him when she heard her men outside talking about the broken carriage and Regina knew she had to go out there and put on a show, demand them to fix it. For the first time in a really long time, Regina did not feel like fighting, she did not feel like arguing or ordering, she just wanted to _be_. But she was a Queen first and foremost, a very much feared Queen at that, certain things came with the title of Evil Queen.

She magiced her clothes, hair and makeup on and went to do what she had been doing oh so well over the past few months, scream at her servants. Their attempts to fix the broken down thing had been quite amusing but Regina knew they had to get going if they were to reach the next village by noon, so she used her magic to mend what she and the thief's mischievous acts had broken.

…

Regina had been in a wonderfully good mood, _had been_, as in in the past tense, for when she was met once more with coldness, suspicion and silence at the next village, her disposition went from hopeful to hateful in an alarming fast speed. She remembered Robin's words from the night before, i_f you can't have them love you, you can make them fear you_.

She was _sick _of playing nice with these ungrateful people, sick of seeing the glint of rebellion in their eyes, sick to hear how they praised Snow White as their true leader while hoping that Regina would fall.

"Kill them, kill them all" she told Robin, she was finally going to take action towards those who stood in silent rebellion.

She hardly registered Robin asking, "Even the children?" when a young, tall, skinny man stole everyone's attentions. He had dropped on his feet masterfully from a tree and Regina found herself without much of a reaction to his interruption.

To Regina's utter astonishment, instead of a rebel, this one was apparently an ally, or at least an opportunist. He spoke to the people trying to persuade them to tell on Snow and Regina could hardly believe her ears and her luck.

"She don't even remember the bloody names of them daft bodyguard dwarfs of 'ers!" He spoke well, he made sense, and his face was strangely familiar.

"And you are?" Regina inquired, royal as ever.

The man did not get the chance to introduce himself as Robin spoke, his tone bitter, "Will Scarlet is his first name and his second is _'utterly untrustworthy'_." He spat.

Regina should not have been surprised that the strange man knew Robin, as they exchanged pleasantries she could not help but wonder what had come to pass between the pair of them. Robin's voice had turned thick and angry, whereas Will was trying to be funny.

"What do you hope to obtain with this intrusion Mr. Scarlet?" she decided to interrupt them.

It was easier than Regina had expected when it came to drawing the information from Will Scarlet, the man seemed quite willing to share it for the sake of those stupid peasants who did not know any better.

Snow was hiding in the Forest of the Dead, which was quite possible since those woods were a mere few hours away ride from that village, it was also dark and inhabited, filled with creatures that would take the sleep from any man, perfect hiding place, but not for long.

Regina knew that she should have just gathered her men and left, she had what she wanted. A still voice inside her head told her to go, but a dark and malicious one told her to press the young man for more information, things she did not really need to know to capture the young woman but that somehow fed an evil and always famished devil inside of her.

Before she knew it, all she saw was red, the words burned into her core, he spoke fast but Regina understood every last one of his words.

_The Queen not having the guts to go look for her there since it held too many ghosts of the past, _had been Snow's words, mocking Regina, defying her.

Her fingers grasped at his dry and thin neck, her feelings taking over her completely, flames of hatred licked her sanity and burned away all reason, every plan she had drawn, all she saw was red, all she wanted was for someone to suffer for those words, for someone to _die_.

"_Don't_" Robin's voice sounded midst of all that hate, "You got what you came for, _you have a lead_, and a damn good one." 

She turned her head to the side so she could face the outlaw, her expression frozen, Regina felt petrified by the warring emotions inside, still, her grip of the man's throat did not falter.

"If you kill him now-" he continued to speak, his words meant just for her ears, "-you'll give all these people _real_ reason to hate you and to side with _her_."

"And also _real reason_ to fear me." her voice came out almost as if it wasn't really her that was speaking. She knew it was, it was a portion of her anyway, one that longed for blood, destruction and revenge.

"But what if you could have both?" Robin's voice was insistent, "Love _and_ fear."

_Could I?_ She asked herself.

The voices inside her head were quick to give her question an answer as loudly as they possibly could, but Regina was not listening to them, there was one voice inside her head that prevailed, it sounded like Robin, it sounded like a light at the end of the tunnel.

She let go of the man's throat in a certain shove, he would not be dying today, not on her hands. All that was necessary was a mere glance at the people for Regina to know they were still quite submissive, quite afraid, and rightly so.

Regina hardly registered as the outlaw requested for his turn to take care of business with his long lost mate, at that point, there was only one thing on her mind:

_The forest of the dead._

That was where Snow White was hiding, that was where Snow White thought she was safe from Regina's grasp.

Regina needed to get there was fast as she could, she could not be detained by an entourage of guards, the slowness of her carriage or the heavy loads of their supplies. She spotted Robin's horse, tall, dark and the fasted beast in the Royal Cavalry, he would do.

She made her way towards the horse with certainty, the beast had vibrant black eyes that matched it's mesmerizing black bluish mane. All she needed to do was touch its nuzzle, Regina knew her way around horses, she stroked him a couple of times and discreetly produced an apple with her magic which the animal quickly devoured.

After that, she was on the horse and turning west towards where Snow's hiding place laid. She caught a glimpse of the thief, Robin, as he looked at her in surprise; she threw him a little smirk, a little catch-me-if-you-can challenge and rode off.

…

Regina rode so fast she could hardly think straight, Snow's doey eyes going wide with terror seemed to be the only constant inside her mind. How she had longed for that moment, and now, it was a breath away, only few more yards away. She was getting close, the darkened treetops came to her line of vision and she reminded herself how everything in that particular wood was strangely gray.

She knew had reached the outskirts of the forest when her horse, actually _his_ horse, quite simply stopped on its tracks, it refused to go any further into the shadow of the wood no matter what she did. Regina was not at all too surprised with this, she knew animals were much more sensitive than humans were when it came to the supernatural, she would not be going inside in horseback.

She dismounted, leaving the large stallion behind, tied to a tree after giving him two apples and some water, she may not give two shits about most people, but horses were _different_, how they reminded her of better times. As she looked back at the dark stallion, Regina realized she was walking into the eye of the hurricane, an inhospitable place she knew very little of, with no consistent plan, but she was not afraid, the need for vengeance won over every other sentiment.

Although the sun shone brightly in the sky, the moment she finally entered the wood, her surroundings became dark and gray. She looked up to see the huge treetops that created a gigantic ceiling that covered as far as the eye could see, making everywhere she looked dark and damp. As the gooseflesh rose on her skin after brushing against something slimy and odd, Regina started to think that maybe she should have thought of a plan before she went inside, before she walked this far. She looked back and all she saw were thick tree trunks and greyish vegetation, no trace of where she had come from, no clue of how to turn back, her heart began to race for a different reason.

Regina closed her eyes and took a deep breath, rotating her shoulders back and reminding herself that she was the Queen and had very powerful magic, and that there was no space for weakness and fear in her world, _she was not weak_.

She took step after step, trying to look everywhere at once for some kind of clue, trying to focus on her mission but the truth of the matter was that the unperturbed silence of the wood brought uneasiness to her chest. The only sound came from her boots squashing damp leaves as she walked, the quietness was almost maddening, for she could also hear the voices inside her head whisper, plot and mock.

When she stopped abruptly and a distinct sound came from behind her, Regina was almost grateful for the distraction. She quickly spun on her heel to face whoever it was that had followed her but she was only able to catch sight of the silhouette running away from her. Forgetting all about the magic she knew, Regina rushed after the intruder with a hunter's thirst for the catch.

_It had to be Snow._

_It must be Snow,_ she thought as she got in deeper into that maze of a wood, running after the slender figure with newfound fire, she could not wait to get her hands on that _girl_.

She was being led to an even darker part of the forest, but Regina did not care, she was never scared of the dark, darkness laid within her, it could not touch her, for it had already consumed her. Trees became thinner but the space between them shrunk, Regina had to watch herself not to collide with them, the figure knew that place better than she, obviously, and it got a little farther than before. When Regina was almost losing it from sight, due to the darkness that was almost swallowing her now, she lit a fireball on the palm of her hand and stopped.

Regina had no idea of where she was or how to get back and if that was not enough, she had lost her prey; the unsettling silence reigned once more. She took in a deep breath and gazed at what her fireball made visible at her surroundings, as she spun around, Regina realized she was in the very center of a small circle made by tall trees, the circumference was not big enough to welcome any sunlight, but it was free of vegetation.

She heard a laugh, a masculine laugh, coming from her left and did not hesitate in throwing the fireball its way. It was all in a split second, all that Regina was able to spot was a pair of wide blue eyes before the figure, the man, managed to duck her attack.

_Blue eyes_

"Robin!" she cried out, "Stop being an idiot!" she was irritated that the man made her run all that way only for the sake of a laugh. _Did he think of everything as a game?_ She lit another fireball and turned a little looking for his hidden figure, "I don't have time for your nonsense, we-"

But her words died on her lips as the fire in her hand illuminated the face of one that was _not _Robin, he had been standing right behind and she had not even noticed. Regina forgot how to breathe as she took in his image, she felt her chest grow ice cold, her expression shift from annoyed to stunned, her lips go dry and her eyes water with tears.

"Daniel." she merely whispered.

He was _there_, standing before her, his blue eyes, his gentle brow a little wrinkled by time, his blonde hair a little longer, his large nose that she remembered kissing in tenderness, his imposing, tall figure, all there for her to see under the gentle flame of her fireball, a _miracle_, _her Daniel_.

When his lips twisted into a wicked grin Daniel had never worn, Regina blinked a few times, a couple of tears ran down her cheeks, and she reminded herself to breathe again. She let out a shaky breath and his grin only widened, all of the sudden, this man, that looked so much like her lost love Daniel, was nothing like him. He continued to have the same physical traits but there was something so wrong about his smile, about the glint in his eyes…

"Daniel?" he spoke and his voice was all wrong, it was too deep, Regina found herself paralyzed on the spot, she could only stare at him gape faced. "Is that who you think I am?" he continued nearing his face to hers, coming nose to nose, his tone was filled with poison.

_Not anymore_, she dared only to think. Regina felt strangely weak, her flame was starting to diminish in intensity and she drew her eyes from his for a moment to look down at her feet and registered that she was already a foot deep into some type of quicksand that had strange vines that had started making their way up her legs while she was distracted.

She looked up again to see the man that resembled Daniel so much, he had taken a couple of steps back and his image became more and more faint as her fireball died in her hand.

"You are looking a little beaten, your majesty." the man spoke again, even the dim lighting could not hide away his mocking grin, "Even your impressive flame has almost gone out." he huffed in amusement, "Allow me." He brought up a small lamp and lit it just as Regina's fire finally extinguished.

With this new source of light Regina could really see how much this man resembled Daniel but was not in fact him. Of course, he could not be, Daniel was…

"Who are you?" she found herself asking while she tried to move one of her feet, it did not work, her feet remained stuck, although Regina was thankful that her attempt had not caused for her to sink any lower.

The man huffed out a half amused laugh and gave her, "Well, you almost guessed."

His words made absolutely no sense and Regina had now overcome the shock of the whole situation and became painfully aware of the fact that she was stuck on the ground and that those vines attached to her legs were dulling her senses. She looked ahead at the man and lifted her head, trying to conjure a stunning spell but her magic did not obey, it stayed put inside her, bubbling to come out but unable.

"I will have to thank you for that-" the man spoke again, "You stood there looking flabbergasted for quite enough time so I was able to sprinkle some of this at your feet." he showed a small leather bag.

"What have you done?" Regina demanded to know.

"It's quite an interesting herb actually, mandrake, most helpful little thing." he spun the closed satchel on his finger, "When the roots are ground into powder, it can trap the opponent as well as dull their powers."

Regina kicked herself inwardly, mandrakes, she had heard their screech time and time again in Maleficent's castle, but she also knew those creatures were rare, she had only seen them in one place, not even Rumple had access to such creatures.

"Who did you steal that from?" Regina accused the man, not making a very good case for herself being that she was rather helpless.

"And here I thought you were rather found of thieves." he spoke with malice and Regina wanted to tear his ears off, "I didn't steal this-" he held the satchel up with his finger, "My good friend Will did, I think you met him, hun?"

Regina felt her chest burst with anger.

_A trap_! She had fallen into a trap! That freakish looking man and this evil twin of Daniel's had tricked her, allies of Snow White no doubt, Regina felt like melting away all their brains…

Regina would not let it show that she was afraid, "What now? You're going to take me to your mighty leader Snow White?" she mocked, trying to win herself some time to get out of this situation.

"Snow White?" the man asked, "You think I brought you here for Snow White?" he circled around her still holding the lamp high so she could see his face, "Snow White was mere bait to get you here."

Regina's defying grin melted from her face at his words, "What do you want?" she asked serious.

"Isn't it obvious?" he took a few steps towards her, "_You._"

"You want gold? Riches in exchange-?" Regina tried.

"No, not gold, no money." he got even closer, his eyes were wide when he repeated, "_You._"

"What do you want from me?" Regina could not help but only whisper.

"I want to kill you, your majesty." the man said simply.

"Why?" she asked, his face was near hers, the flames of the lamp dangerously near her hair.

"Because my brother died because of you." he screamed as he threw the lamp on the floor next to her body with all the force he could muster. There were some dry leaves there that quickly caught on fire creating quite the dangerous setting for this conversation to take place, especially since Regina was stuck on the floor.

"Your brother?" she squinted and regarded him one more time, the inferno that was building up on the floor gave this scene a completely new light, "Wait, are you-?" she turned her head to the side in order to see him better, "William?" her chest got heavy as she stated, "You're Daniel's brother."

"Yes!" he breathed out, his eyes had gotten a little teary, "Now I'm going to avenge my brother's death!" he drew then a dagger from his belt, the gleaming thing looked quite sharp and Regina found herself holding her breath as well as desperately trying to tap into her magic, any magic would do at this moment.

"I did not kill your brother William!" she tried to reason, tears came to her eyes as well as she remembered, "I loved him more than anything on this earth, I would have never hurt him-"

"But you did!" William fought back, "It's because of you he's rotting six feet under!"

"It was not my fault, it was Snow White!" Regina was almost screaming at this point because the past ten years of her life had been about this, had revolved around this betrayal from Snow's part which had led to tragedy. "_She_ told our secret to my mother and then-"

"Snow White was but a child, she did not understand." William cut Regina, "You are the real villain Regina, _you _poisoned my brother's heart with promises of true love and happiness." He pointed his finger at Regina's face and she could do nothing but stare back at the man, "He wrote to me often telling me how he was in love with you, how he would marry you, run away from your witch mother-" a tear slipped down his face, "That you had promised-" he choked on a sob and was not able to finish his last words.

Regina took this opportunity to speak, "I did love him!" she protested and noticed how the tone of her voice had grown higher, "I still do love him." she tried to meet William eye but he was looking down, she grabbed his shirt, "When he died-"

She was not able to finish, for William's moves were quick, one moment his head was down, arms limp with sorrow, and the other, one hand grabbed at her arm while he held that dangerously sharp dagger to her throat, "He died-" he mimed her words, "-because of you!"

"I never wanted him to die, believe me-" she tried her best to speak while the coldness of the deadly iron still touched her skin.

"If you really loved my brother, you would not have filled his head with impossible fantasies!" he spun the blade a little against Regina's skin and she shivered, "You _both_ were stupid and naive to believe you could outwit a heartless sorceress." Regina could only shallow by this point, "But your stupidity cost my brother's life!" his voice broke a little, some tears still treaded down his cheeks, "While _you_ went on to become a Queen!"

"A fate worse than death, I can assure you!" Regina found her voice again, her fingers closing into fists, she had to do something, but a wave of emotions overwhelmed her, hate, love, regret, shame.

"My brother's corpse hadn't even chilled and you were engaged to the King." he contorted his red face, throwing the very worst times of her life at her face.

"I did not want to marry the King!" Regina tried, verging on desperate; her heart beat so fast she thought she was going to choke on it, if only her magic would work, "_She_ made me!"

"She _made_ you, now did she?" he mocked in a non believing voice and pressed the blade harder against her neck, "They say _she_ ripped my brother's heart out and crushed it into _dust_." He slid the knife down ever so slowly as he spoke, his eyes were maniac and accompanied the blade's journey, "Well, I don't have that magic,-" the blade stopped where her beating heart rested, "-but this dagger most certainly can carve out your heart, your majesty."

"Please, don't do this." Regina found herself pleading, "I do not want to hurt you."

He then smiled an evil smile and gave her, "But you can't now, can you?" he twisted the point of the dagger about the velvet of her cape, "You left in such a hurry for the young princess' head that none of your men were able to follow you." He huffed a half laugh and let go of her arm only to grip at her hair tightly and pull it down, Regina felt the dagger cut through the fabric of her clothes ever so slowly, his head was hovering above hers while he still spoke. "I will avenge my brother's death-"

_Red_

It all happened in less than a few seconds but it was as if time had slowed down and Regina was able to see every last detail of what came to pass before her eyes. It was so quick William's face did not shift in expression, but the horrid pressure the knife made on her chest, and the pulling of her hair ceased at once, she felt his body go limp as a rain of red wet her face, warm, iron smelling blood sprinkled from his mouth. It was only a second later that she was able to spot actual iron, an iron triangular tip belonging to an arrow came out of his mouth as he made an awful choking noise.

The dagger dropped to the floor as his body fell on Regina's, limp and dead. She pushed him away from her and he bounced off and fell on the floor on top of the burning leaves like a gigantic puppet putting the fire out. The arrow had been shot on the back of his head but had been projected with so much strength that it traveled through the man's entire head and now its end stuck out of his mouth.

Regina felt her legs grow weak, her breathing was quick as she looked at Daniel's brother. _Dead_, having been driven mad by revenge, his take on the facts he had not even witnessed brought him to almost killing her- Her legs were almost giving in but her feet were stuck on the floor, she felt great pain radiate from them as she tried to free herself.

Hurried footsteps averted her attention, and Regina was met with a sight most welcome, _Robin_ was running towards her, bow in hand and a frown the size of that forest on his forehead.

Robin's bow laid forgotten on the floor when he finally reached her, Regina felt so weak she could not help but lean forward into his arms, depositing her weight on him. A skull-splitting ache had lodged itself in her head when the tension of her near death had been broken, and now all she wanted to do was rest, she just wanted to sleep.

Her dulled senses caught his voice, "_Regina_" one of his arms held her firmly against him as his other hand caressed the top of her head, "Come away from here." he urged her gently.

"I can't." her voice was low and a little croaky, it hurt her throat to speak, "My feet-" she managed.

There was a look of puzzlement in his eyes before he looked down, he hissed at what he saw and Regina looked down as well. The villainous vines had ripped through the leather of her pants and drawn blood. Regina was starting to register the pain of the magical herb that had cut through her skin as soon as she could actually see the damage they had done, she did not feel her feet whatsoever, they were still buried down.

"Gods-" Robin whispered in concern as he kneeled in front of her to inspect her feet, Regina braced herself on his shoulders, unable to stand without assistance anymore. She closed her eyes and found herself praying to whatever high force that governed the world that Robin was able to set her free.

"What manner of magic is this?" she heard him ask, she could feel his hands on her injured legs, his touch was careful, "This-" he knocked on the dried mandrakes that held her feet, "-thing is hard as rock-"

Regina looked down as he smoothed his hand about the hard surface, she sighed for what it felt like the hundredth time that day in defeat, and leaned herself a little bit more on him.

"Wait!" he exclaimed suddenly, which made Regina's head shoot to the ground once more and what she saw was truly quite impossible. On top of the stony substance that covered her feet there was a glowy green handprint that most definitely had not been there before, it began to spark into different tones of green and when it finally grew bright green, the mark began to heat up.

But before Regina could protest, the hand printed part of the stony trap simply crumbled away and turned to sparkly dust. Robin and Regina exchanged quick looks of puzzlement before he was hands on trying to free at least one of her feet. It seemed as if luck was finally on their side, for the rest of the rocky substance gave away and soon rather than later both Regina's feet were freed.

She was able to enjoy three exact seconds of freedom before a massive pain radiated from her legs, which finally gave away and her knees hit the floor hard. She let out a loud cry of pain but Robin was there to catch her and she soon felt his arms around her, bringing her a warmth that had not been there before, he emanated something quite different, Regina was too tired to try and guess what it was, all she knew was that it felt _good_.

They stayed like that for a while, Regina's heartbeat was beginning to steady, but her head was still aching. She felt more and more like herself as the effects of the powder finally wore off, her magic coursed through her veins freely and strong.

Robin was quiet, he held her in silence as he stroked his thumb up and down her upper arm in a lazy pace. She was cradled in his arms, her face turned to his chest, her eyes locked where his heart once was, and not for the first time, Regina wondered how he _felt_. All those months ago he had practically begged her to take his heart from her chest, but now, after everything they had been through, it was hard for anyone to believe that the outlaw was indeed heartless.

Regina felt a tingly sensation on her legs and sighed, licking her lips and finally breaking the silence, "Robin-"

He turned to face her and Regina immediately noted he had a grave frown on his forehead, his face was hard and the gentle stroke of his thumb had ceased. Suddenly feeling a little stronger, Regina placed her hands on the leafy ground and sat up, her vision blurred for a second but soon she was facing his serious blue eyes.

"What's-" but she never got the chance to finish her question for he cut her off with one of his own, a question that made her heart almost stop altogether.

"Who's Daniel?"

...

**Penny for your thoughts! ;)**


End file.
